(LIBRARY  \ 
UNIVERSITY  OF       1 
CALIFORNIA 
SAN  DIEGO       ! 


WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 


Osmond  carrying  off  Duke  Richard. 


WONDERFUL  ESCAPES 


REVISED  FROM  THE  FRENCH  OF  F.  BERNARD 
AND  ORIGINAL  CHAPTERS  ADDED. 


RICHARD     WHITEING 


itfj  ftfotnig-si* 


NEW     YORK: 

CHARLES     SCRIBNER     &     CO. 
1871. 


illustrated  library  of  Wonders. 


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27 


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CONTENTS. 


Aristomenes  the  Messenian  ........         I 

Hegesistratus       ..........2 

Demetrius  Soter 4 

,Marius .         .         6 

Attalus 10 

Richard,  Duke  of  Normandy 15 

Louis  II.,  Count  of  Flanders       .         .         .         .         .         .         .       J  7 

The  Duke  of  Albany  ........19 

James  V.,  King  of  Scotland 22 

Secundus  Curion.         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .25 

Benvenuto  Cellini 26 

Mary,  Queen  of  Scots.         ........41 

Caumont  de  la  Force  .........45 

Charles  de  Guise          .........54 

Mary  de  Medicis 56 

Grotius 60 

Isaac  Arnauld     ...  ......       63 

The  Duke  of  Beaufort 65 

Cardinal  de  Retz 69 

Cjuiqueran  de  Beaujeu         ...  ....        76 

Charles  II 78 

Blanche  Gamond 90 

Jean  Bart  and  the  Chevalier  de  Forbin         .....      96 

Duguay  Tronin    ..........      99 

The  Abbe  Count  de  Bucquoy       .......     101 

Jacobite  Insurrectionists       ........     108 

Charles  Edward Ill 

Stanislaus  Leczinski    .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .Il8 

Baron  Trenck      .         .         .         •         .         .         .         .         .         .12? 

Cassanova  de  Seincalt .  ...     160 


1\  .          CONTENTS. 

PAGF 

Laiude         ...........  214 

Beniowski    ...........  229 

Twelve  Priests  saved  by  Geoflfroy  St.  IJ.ia  re        ....  236 

De  Chateaubrun.         .........  238 

Sydney  Smith     .         .         .         .•>.....  239 

Picnegru,  Ramel,  Barthelemy,  etc.       .         .         .         .         .         .241 

Colonel  de  Richemont.         ........  248 

Captain  Grivel    ..........  254 

Lavalette     ...........  255 

Giovanni  Arrivabene,  Ugoni,  and  Scalvjni  .         ,         ,         .         .  262 

Political  Prisoners,  1834 265 

Monsieur  Rufin  Piotro  \vski  .          .......  267 

Prince  Louis  Napoleon         ........  284 

James  Stephens  •        •.«..*•••  298 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PACK 

I.  They  came  at  last  to  an  opening,         ...  2 

II.    Marius  sent  away  from  Minturnas,  10 

III.  I  then  tore  them  up  into  long  bands,    ...  29 

IV.  Cellini  attacked  by  the  dogs,       ....  36 
V.  Escape  of  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  from  Loch  Leven 

Castle, 44 

VI.   "  Hush !  "  said  the  man,    "  keep  quiet,  they  are 

still  there," 48 

VII.  She   lifted  the  lid  of  the  chest,  and  her  master 

leaped  out  safe  and  sound,           ...  62 

VIII.  He  let  himself  drop  into  the  sea,          ...  78 

IX.  They  grew  very  angry  at  my  rudeness,         .         .  88 

X.   I  was  obliged  to  support  myself  with  one  arm,        .  92 

XI.  My  foot  got  stuck,  and  the  sentinel  seized  it,         .  127 

XII.  Trenck  escaping  with  Lieutenant  Schell,       .          .138 

XIII.  The  first  grenadier  I  knocked  down,     .         .  15  J 

XIV.  I  heard  the  sound  of  a  door  being  unbolted,            .  174 
XV.  I  told  him  to  be  very  careful  not  to  spill  the  sauce,  186 

XVI.  Balbi  rolled  down  into  my  arms,  .          .          .197 


VI  LliT    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

XVII.  The  monk  clung  to  my  waistband,            .         .  202 

XVIII.   I  told  him  I  was  going  to  bury  him,            .          .  213 

XIX.   I  saw  on  the  paiapet  the  soldiers  of  the  grand  round,  224 

XX.  Stop,  thief!    .                           ....  228 

XXI.  The  woodman  pulled  out  a  knife  and  did  so,       .  239 

XXII.  He  affected  great  surprise,         .         .         .         .241 

XXIII.  I  held  my  handkerchief  to  my  eyes,  .         .         .  258 

XXIV.  They  fell  exhausted  to  the  ground,   .          .         .  264 
XXV.   The  sight  of  the  seal  was  sufficient,    .          .          .  278 

XXVI.  -Osmond  carrying  off  Du.ke  Richard,  Frontispiece. 


WONDERFUL  ESCAPES. 


ARISTOMENES  THE  MESSENIAN. 
ABOUT   684   B.C. 

ARISTOMENES,  the  Messenian  general,  fighting  at  the  head 
of  his  troops  against  very  superior  numbers  of  the  Lacede- 
monians, commanded  by  the  two  kings  of  Sparta,  received  a 
severe  blow  on  the  head  from  a  stone,  and  fell  insensible, 
and  to  all  appearance  dead.  He  was  taken  prisoner,  with 
fifty  of  his  soldiers,  and  dragged  to  Sparta,  where  the  Lace- 
demonians condemned  them  all  to  be  thrown  into  the 
Cceada,  a  hideous  gulf  formed  by  a  fissure  in  the  earth,  in 
whose  depths  already  lay  the  bones  of  hundreds  of  criminals 
who  had  been  put  to  death.  The  barbarous  sentence  was 
actually  carried  out ;  and  Aristomenes,  with  all  his  surviving 
soldiers,  was  hurled  into  the  gulf.  The  latter  perished  to  a 
man  in  the  fall ;  but  their  general,  on  this  as  on  so  many 
other  occasions,  was  saved — as  the  historian  Pausanias  has  it, 
by  the  favour  of  a  god.  The  most  enthusiastic  chroniclers 
of  his  exploits  say  that  an  eagle  flying  towards  him  sustained 
his  body  on  its  extended  wings,  and  thus  bore  him  unharmed 
to  the  bottom  of  the  ravine.  A  happy  chance  revealed  to 
him  a  means  of  egress  from  this  dismal  prison.  When  he 
reached  the  bottom,  he  lay  for  some  time  on  the  ground, 
wrapped  in  his  mantle,  and  in  momentary  expectation  of 
drath.  He  scarcely  stirred  from  this  position  for  two 

B 


2  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

days ;  on  the  third  day  of  his  entombment,  however,  he 
heard  a  noise,  and  uncovering  his  face,  saw  a  fox  creeping 
along  in  the  gloom  towards  a  heap  of  corpses.  Judging 
from  this  that  there  must  be  an  opening  in  the  ravine,  he 
waited  until  the  animal  approached  him,  and  then  seized  its 
leg  with  one  hand,  thrust  his  mantle  into  its  mouth  with  the 
other  when  it  turned  to  bite,  and  suffered  himself  to  be 
dragged  through  the  passages  cf  his  subterranean  prison. 
They  came  at  last  to  an  opening  just  large  enough  to  give  a 
passage  to  the  fox  and  to  admit  a  feeble  ray  of  light  into 
the  cavern.  The  animal  bounded  forward  into  the  daylight, 
and  disappeared  as  soon  as  Aristomenes  let  go  his  hold, 
leaving  the  captive  general  to  follow  after  he  had  enlarged 
the  opening  with  his  hands.  This  escape  of  Aristomenes 
was  considered  a  manifest  proof  of  the  favour  and  protection 
of  the  gods.  (Pausdnias:  Desci '.^lon  cf  C;'c;cc,  bl:.  i-;., 
ch.  xviii.) 


HEGESISTRA  TUS. 

ABOUT  475  B.C. 

MARDONIUS  had  for  an  augur,  according  to  the  Greek  rites, 
Hegesistratus  of  Elea.  This  man,  at  one  time,  was  in  the 
power  of  the  Spartans,  to  whom  he  had  wrought  very  great 
harm,  and  he  lay  heavily  ironed  in  prison,  and  condemned 
to  death.  In  this  extremity,  knowing  that  he  had  to  expect, 
not  only  to  lose  his  life,  but  to  suffer  the  most  frightful  tor- 
tures before  his  execution,  he  performed  an  incredible  ex- 
ploit. He  was  fastened  to  a  heavy  wooden  fetter  bound 
with  iron,  and  by  the  aid  of  a  scrap  of  the  same  metal  which 
he  found  by  accident  in  his  prison,  he  accomplisfteci  Jie 


They  came  at  last  to  an  opening. 


HEGESISTRATUS.  3 

most  courageous  action  ever  recorded ;  for,  having  carefully 
measured  off  as  much  of  his  foot  as  he  could  manage  to 
drag  out  of  the  fetters,  he  cut  it  away  from  the  rest  by  the 
tarsal  bone.  He  then  contrived,  although  the  prison  was 
strictly  guarded,  to  pick  a  hole  in  the  wall  of  his  dungeon, 
and  escape  to  Tegea,  walking,  or  rather  hobbling  along,  by 
night,  and  hiding  during  the  day.  He  arrived  at  Tegea  on 
the  third  night,  after  eluding  all  the  vigilance  of  the  Lace- 
demonians, who  had,  indeed,  been  struck  with  almost  ludi- 
crous astonishment  when  they  found  only  the  half  of  the 
man's  foot  in  their  safe  keeping  and  the  owner  gone.  As 
soon  as  Hegesistratus  was  cured,  he  provided  himself  with 
a  wooden  foot,  and  became  the  declared  enemy  of  the 
Lacedemonians.  His  hatred  of  them  was  about  equalled 
by  his  love  of  gain ;  and  he  was  enabled  to  gratify  both  pas- 
sions by  sacrificing,  and  by  drawing  divinations  for  the  Per- 
sians at  the  battle  of  Platea,  for  which  he  was  most  liberally 
paid  by  Mardonius.  But  his  enmity  to  the  Spartans  brought 
him  to  a  bad  end,  for  he  was  captured  by  them  at  Zacyn- 
thus,  where  he  was  following  his  trade  of  divination,  and  put 
to  death.  (Herodotus,  bk.  ix.,  §  xxxvii.) 

In  the  time  of  Herodotus,  the  term  "tarsus  "  was  applied, 
not  only  to  that  part  of  the  foot  so  designated  by  modern 
anatomist?,  but  also  to  that  immediately  above  the  toes.  It 
would  even  seem  to  follow,  from  a  passage  in  Hippocrates, 
that  the  term  tarsus  was  employed  specially  to  designate 
those  portions  now  called  metatarsal,  and  to  the  second  row 
of  the  bones  of  the  tarsus,  from  which  he  distinguishes 
those  in  direct  communication  with  the  leg.  From  the 
text  of  Herodotus,  however,  it  is  sufficiently  clear  that 
Hegesistratus  cut  off  his  foot  at  the  part  where  t'.ie  lar.:t:s 
and  metatarsus  join. 


4  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

It  would  at  first  seem  incredible  that  a  man  could  have 
the  resolution  to  mutilate  himself  in  this  way,  and,  above 
all,  to  do  subsequently  what  is  here  recorded  by  the  Greek 
author ;  but  facts  certainly  as  extraordinary  have  been  ob- 
served among  the  North  American  Indians.  It  is  but 
rarely,  however,  that  among  stories  of  the  kind  we  have  col- 
lected, even  though  they  may  be  taken  from  the  gravest 
historians,  some  details  are  not  found  open  to  at  least  the 
suspicion  of  exaggeration.  We  give  the  name  of  our  au- 
thority :  the  reader  must  take  the  story  for  what  it  is  worth. 


DEMETRIUS  SOTER. 

162   B.C. 

DEMETRIUS  had  been  sent  to  Rome  as  a  hostage  by  his 
father,  Seleucus  Philopater.  Antiochus  having  afterwards 
assassinated  Seleucus,  and  made  himself  King  of  Syria,  De- 
metrius asked  the  Senate  to  restore  him  his  liberty  and  his 
throne.  But,  according  to  Polybius,  although  the  senators 
were  touched  by  the  words  of  the  young  prince,  they  thought 
it  more  to  the  interest  of  the  Republic  to  detain  him  in 
Rome,  and  to  recognise  the  son  of  Antiochus. 

Some  time  after,  Demetrius  wished  to  renew  his  appeal  to 
the  Senate,  and  he  consulted  Polybius,  who  tried  to  dis- 
suade him  from  it :  "  Do  not,"  said  the  historian,  "  bruise 
yourself  a  second  time  against  the  same  stone.  Believe  in 
yourself  and  in  yourself  alone,  and  prove  by  your  own  bold- 
ness that  you  deserve  to  be  king." 

The  prince,  expecting  no  doubt  advice  more  in  harmony 
with  his  intentions,  did  not  follow  the  counsel  of  Polybius 
till  he  was  taught  the  value  of  it  by  a  second  refusal  from 


DKMETRIUS    SOTER.  5 

the  Senate;  and  then  he  prepared  for  flight.  Diodorus, 
who  had  educated  him,  arrived  very  opportunely  at  that 
moment  from  Syria,  and  assured  him  that  if  he  were  to  pre- 
sent himself  to  his  people  with  but  one  attendant  at  his  back 
he  would  be  immediately  proclaimed  king. 

Polybius,  Diodorus,  and  some  other  friends  of  the  young 
prince,  devoted  themselves  to  his  service.  They  bought  a 
Carthaginian  ship  lying  at  the  mouth  of  the  Tiber,  without 
much  hindrance  it  would  seem  from  the  vigilance  of  the 
authorities  ;  for  the  sale  and  all  the  arrangements,  including 
the  settlement  of  the  very  hour  of  departure,  were  effected 
with  the  utmost  publicity.  When  the  time  came  Demetrius 
assembled  his  friends  around'  him,  a  limited  number  of 
them  only  being  in  the  secret,  and  standing  pledged  to  em- 
bark with  their  slaves  at  a  given  signal.  Polybius  was  ill, 
and  could  not  leave  his  house,  but  he  became  apprehensive 
lest  the  young  man  should  abandon  himself  to  the  pleasures 
of  the  table,  and  forget  the  hour  fixed  for  his  setting  out. 
He  therefore  sent  a  slave  to  him  towards  nightfall,  with 
orders  to  approach  him  as  though  on  business  of  import- 
ance, and  to  place  a  letter  in  his  hand  reminding  him  of 
his  duty.  Demetrius  read  the  letter,  invented  a  pretext  for 
withdrawing  from  the  table,  and  returned  with  his  confidants 
to  his  own  house,  whence  he  sent  away  his  servants  to 
Anagnia  with  orders  to  get  everything  in  readiness  for  a  boar 
hunt  on  the  next  day  but  one — this  being  his  favourite  sport, 
and  the  one  which  had  first  brought  him  into  contact  with 
Polybius/  His  friends  also  gave  the  same  orders  to  their 
slaves,  and  in  due  time  all  the  confederates  assembled  at 
Ostia.  Demetrius  still  pretended  that  he  meant  to  stay  at 
Rome,  and  that  he  was  merely  sending  out  some  trusted 
friends  of  his  own  age  with  instructions  to  his  brother.  The 


6  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

captain  of  the  ship,  for  his  part,  was  not  disposed  to  be 
too  particular  in  his  inquiries  about  anything  except  the 
money  for  the  voyage;  and  towards  night  Demetrius  and 
his  companions  quietly  embarked.  At  daybreak  the  anchors 
were  raised,  the  vessel  stood  out  to  sea,  and  the  fugitives 
were  free.  (Polybius,  bk.  xxxi.,  frag.  xiL) 


M  ARIUS. 
85  B.C. 

WHEN  Marius  felt  himself  menaced  by  Sylla's  march  on 
Rome  he  tried  to  raise  the  slaves  in  his  favour,  but  on  the 
failure  of  the  attempt,  he  took  to  flight,  knowing  that  he  had 
no  mercy  to  expect  from  his  rival,  whose  friends  he  had  so 
remorselessly  slain.  He  had  hardly  left  the  city  when  his 
attendants  dispersed,  and  he  was  obliged  to  seek  refuge 
alone  at  Solonium,  one  of  his  country  retreats.  From  this 
place  he  sent  his  son  to  collect  food  in  the  grounds  of  his 
father-in-law,  Mucius,  which  were  not  far  off.  The  hunted 
man  at  the  same  time  hurried  away  to  Ostia,  and  without 
waiting  for  his  son's  return,  embarked  with  his  son-in-law, 
Granius,  in  a  vessel  kept  in  readiness  for  him  by  Numerius, 
one  of  his  friends.  The  young  Marius  had  meanwhile  got 
a  store  of  provisions  ;  but  at  daybreak  he  was  alarmed  by 
the  approach  of  the  horsemen  of  Sylla,  whose  suspicions  had 
led  them  to  the  place.  They  were  seen,  however,  at  a  dis- 
tance by  Mucius's  faithful  steward,  who  hid  the  youth  in  a 
cart  laden  with  beans,  and  harnessing  his  oxen  to  it,  pushed 
boldly  on  before  the  horsemen  into  the  city.  The  fugitive 
was  then  conveyed  to  his  wife's  house,  where  he  waited  till 
nightfall,  and  then  took  ship,  and  reached  Africa  in  safety. 
The  elder  Marius  had  weighed  anchor,  and  was  carried 


MARIUS.  7 

along  the  coasts  of  Italy  by  a  favourable  wind ;  but  he 
ordered  the  sailors  to  stand  off  from  Terracina,  because  he 
feared  his  enemy  Geminius,  one  of  the  principal  inhabitants 
of  that  place.  They  were  in  the  act  of  obeying  him  when 
a  gale  began  to  blow,  which  soon  swelled  to  such  a  furious 
tempest  that  it  seemed  impossible  for  the  boat  to  live. 
This,  joined  to  the  illness  of  Marius,  who  was  prostrated  by 
sea-sickness,  obliged  them  to  make  for  the  coast  of  Circaei, 
where  they  landed  with  great  difficulty. 

They  were  scarcely  a  league  from  Minturnse  when  they 
saw  a  troop  of  horsemen  approaching,  and  quite  by  chance 
perceived  a  couple  of  barks  afloat.  They  at  once  turned  in 
terror  from  the  horsemen,  and  plunged  into  the  sea  to  swim 
to  the  barks.  Granius  easily  reached  one  of  the  boats 
and  made  for  the  island  of  Enaria,  situated  opposite  to  this 
point  of  the  coast ;  but  Marius,  who  was  then  seventy  years 
of  age,  was  dragged  with  great  difficulty  towards  the  other 
by  two  slaves,  and  had  hardly  been  placed  in  it  when  his 
pursuers  reached  the  bank  and  ordered  the  sailors  to  row 
him  ashore,  or  else  to  throw  him  overboard  and  go  wherever 
they  pleased  without  him.  Marius  had  recourse  to  sup- 
plications and  to  tears,  and  his  companions,  after  hesitating 
a  little  while,  refused  to  abandon  him.  But  his  enraged 
pursuers  had  hardly  left  the  shore  when  the  sailors  again 
changed  their  minds  and  steered  towards  the  land.  They 
cast  anchor  at  the  mouth  of  the  Liris  (the  Garigliano),  the 
waters  of  which  formed  a  marsh,  and  they  urged  Marius  to 
land  in  order  to  take  some  nourishment  and  recover  from 
his  sea-sickness  and  to  await  a  more  favourable  wind.  He 
confided  in  them  and  followed  their  advice ;  and  when  they 
had  put  him  ashore  he  hid  himself  in  a  meadow,  little 
thinking  of  what  was  to  follow,  for  he  had  hardly  left  the 


8  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

vessel  when  they  weighed  anchor  again  and  left  the  place, 
as  though  thinking  it  would  neither  be  honest  in  them  to 
deliver  him  to  his  enemies,  nor  safe  to  try  to  save  his  life. 

Left  thus  alone  and  abandoned  by  all,  Marius  for  a  time 
lay  stretched  upon  the  shore,  without  the  power  to  rise  or 
to  utter  a  single  word  ;  but  at  length,  lifting  himself  up  with 
difficulty,  he  began  to  totter  painfully  along  a  pathless  waste 
of  land.  After  crossing  several  deep  marshes  he  came  by 
chance  to  the  cottage  of  an  old  labouring  man,  and  falling 
at  his  feet  he  besought  him  to  save  one  who,  if  he  escaped 
from  his  present  dangers,  would  have  it  in  Ifis  power  to 
bestow  an  unhoped-for  recompense  upon  his  deliverer.  The 
old  man,  either  knowing  him  or  detecting  something  of  his 
real  importance  in  his  bearing,  replied  that  if  he  wished  for 
rest  he  might  find  it  in  the  cottage,  but  if  he  sought  for 
safety  from  his  enemies  he  would  hide  him  in  a  more  secret 
place.  Marius  begged  him  to  do  so,  and  the  peasant,  lead- 
ing him  into  the  marsh,  told  him  to  crouch  in  a  hole  on  the 
bank  of  a  river,  and  covered  him  up  with  reeds  and  other 
light  things,  which  effectually  concealed  him,  without  op- 
pressing him  with  their  weight. 

He  had  not  lain  there  long  when  he  heard  a  slight 
uproar  and  the  sound  of  voices  coming  from  the  cottage. 
Geminius  of  Terracina  had,  in  fact,  sent  a  number  of  people 
in  pursuit  of  him,  and  some  of  them,  who  had  penetrated  to 
that  place,  were  trying  to  frighten  the  old  man  by  charging 
him  with  having  harboured  the  enemy  of  Rome.  Marius 
then  foolishly  revealed  himself  by  crawling  out  of  his  hiding- 
place  and  plunging  naked  into  the  filthy  waters  of  the 
marsh,  where  he  was  at  once  seen  by  his  pursuers.  They 
dragged  him  out  half  suffocated  and  covered  with  mud,  and 
took  him  to  Minturnae,  where  the  magistrates  thought  it 


MARIUS.  £ 

prudent  to  deliberate  on  his  fate,  although  the  decree  order- 
ing his  pursuit  and  immediate  execution  when  captured  had 
been  published  in  all  the  cities.  They  decided  at  last  on 
placing  him  for  safe  custody  in  the  house  of  a  woman  named 
Fannia,  whom  he  had  formerly  injured,  and  who,  it  was 
thought,  would  be  very  evilly  disposed  towards  him.  Fannia, 
however,  on  this  occasion  showed  him  no  animosity;  indeed, 
the  sight  of  her  supposed  enemy  did  not  appear  to  recall 
one  bitter  feeling  to  her  mind,  for  she  placed  food  before 
him  and  exhorted  him  to  take  courage.  He  told  her  he 
had  just  seen  a  favourable  omen  and  was  full  of  confidence, 
and  ordered  her  to  close  the  door  of  his  chamber,  as  he 
wished  for  repose. 

Meanwhile,  the  authorities  of  Minturnse  had  decided  that 
he  should  be  put  to  death  without  delay,  but  not  one 
citizen  could  be  found  to  undertake  his  execution.  At 
length  a  horse-soldier — a  Gaul  according  to  some,  and  ac 
cording  to  others  a  Cimbrian — took  a  sword  and  entered 
the  woman's  dwelling.  The  room  in  which  the  captive  lay 
was  very  badly  lit,  and  was  indeed  in  almost  total  darkness  ; 
and  the  Cimbrian  (so  runs  the  story)  thought  he  saw  two 
fierce  eyes  darting  flames,  and  heard  a  terrible  voice  calling 
to  him  out  of  the  gloom,  "  Wretch  !  darest  thou  slay  Caius 
Marius?"  At  all  events,  he  at  once  threw  down  his  sword 
in  terror  and  ran  away,  exclaiming,  as  he  leaped  headlong 
over  the  threshold,  "  No,  I  dare  not  kill  Caius  Marius."  The 
whole  city  was  seized  with  astonishment,  and  then  with  pity 
and  repentance,  and  the  people  reproached  themselves  for 
their  cruel  and  ungrateful  resolution  against  a  man  who  had 
saved  Italy,  and  whom  it  had  once  been  a  crime  to  refuse 
to  aid.  "Let  him  go  where  he  will  to  meet  his  destiny," 
they  said ;  "  and,  for  our  part,  let  us  supplicate  the  gods  to 


10  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

pardon  us  for  having  cast  him  out  naked  and  helpless  from 
our  midst." 

A  number  of  the  citizens  then  went  to  Fannia's  house,  and 
forming  in  procession  before  the  proscribed  man  led  him  to 
the  sea.  As  each  had  some  useful  thing  to  present  to  him 
for  his  journey,  he  lost  some  time  in  receiving  and  acknow- 
ledging their  attention,  and  this  delay  threatened  to  be 
further  prolonged  by  the  fact  that  the  sacred  grove,  called 
Marica,  lay  in  the  way  of  their  direct  passage  to  the  shore. 
An  old  man,  however,  had  the  courage  to  enter  the  wood, 
observing  that  where  the  safety  of  Marius  was  concerned 
there  should  be  no  forbidden  path,  and  the  rest  followed  his 
example.  On  reaching  the  shore  Marius  found  a  ship  ready 
to  receive  him,  which  had  been  thoroughly  equipped  and 
provisioned  for  his  service  by  a  citizen  named  Beleus.  In 
this  manner  he  made  his  escape. 

He  afterwards  ordered  all  these  incidents  to  be  made  the 
subject  of  a  grand  picture,  which  he  placed  as  an  offering  in 
the  temple  standing  near  the  place  of  his  embarkation. 


ATTALUS. 

SIXTH   CENTURY. 

THEODORIC  and  Childebert  entered  into  an  alliance,  took 
oath  not  to  march  against  one  another,  and  mutually  re- 
ceived hostages  for  the  better  observance  of  the  terms  of 
their  treaty.  Among  these  hostages  were  many  of  the  sons 
of  senators,  who,  when  the  kings  unfortunately  began  to 
quarrel  again,  were  reduced  to  servitude,  and  became  the 
slaves  of  those  in  whose  guardianship  they  had  been  placed. 
Many  of  them,  however,  contrived  to  escape,  and  but  a  few 


Marius  sent  away  from  Minturnze. 


ATTALUS.  I  I 

were  kept  in  servitude  for  any  length  of  time.  Among  the 
latter  was  Attalus,  nephew  of  Gregory,  Bishop  of  Langres. 
He  had  been  sold  as  a  slave  to  the  State,  and  had  been 
employed  in  the  care  of  horses  under  a  certain  barbarian  in 
the  district  of  Treves.  Some  servants  of  Bishop  Gregory, 
who  had  been  sent  in  search  of  the  youth,  and  had  dis- 
covered his  whereabouts,  tried  to  buy  his  freedom  from  the 
barbarian;  but  he  refused  their  modest  offerings,  on  the 
ground  that  a  person  so  illustrious  as  his  captive  ought  to 
pay  at  least  ten  pounds'  weight  of  gold  for  his  ransom.  Cn 
the  return  of  these  emissaries,  one  of  them  named  Leor, 
employed  in  the  bishop's  kitchen,  said  to  his  master,  "  God 
grant  that  your  lordship  give  me  permission  to  make  the 
attempt,  and  perhaps  I  shall  be  able  to  redeem  Attalus  yet." 

The  bishop  consented,  and  Leon  set  out  for  Treves. 
He  tried  at  first  to  get  the  young  man  away  secretly,  but 
this  was  impossible.  He  then  deliberately  caused  himself 
to  be  sold  to  the  barbarian,  offering  the  price  of  the  trans- 
action as  a  reward  to  the  man  who  had  pretended  to  be  his 
owner.  The  buyer  asked  what  the  new  slave  could  do.  "  I 
am  a  very  clever  cook,"  replied  Leon  ;  "  I  can  serve  every- 
thing fit  for  the  table  of  a  great  lord ;  and  I  don't  believe 
that  my  equal  in  this  science  is  to  be  found  anywhere. 
I  dare  venture  to  say  that  if  my  master  wanted  to  entertain 
the  king,  he  could  not  do  better  than  order  me  to  invent 
him  a  right  royal  feast." 

"  Sunday  is  coming,"  said  the  barbarian,  "  and  on  that 
day  I  am  going  to  invite  my  friends  and  relations.  I  want 
you  to  prepare  a  banquet  for  me  which  will  excite  their 
admiration." 

The  Sunday  came,  and  the  new  slave  served  one  of  his 
choicest  repasts,  which  so  pleased  his  master  that  he  at 


12  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

once  took  him  into  high  favour,  and  made  him  almost  the 
second  person  in  the  household.  At  the  end  of  about  a 
year  he  was  so  trusted  that  he  was  enabled  one  day,  with- 
out exciting  suspicion,  to  walk  after  Attalus  into  a  meadow 
near  the  house,  and  to  begin  a  conversation  with  him, 
though  they  took  the  precaution  of  sitting  back  to  back  and 
at  some  distance  from  one  another.  "It  is  time,"  said  Leon 
to  the  yoi  ng  man,  "  that  we  began  to  think  of  our  country  ; 
and  I  have  come  to  you  to  give  you  warning  not  to  go  to 
sleep  to-night  after  you  have  put  up  your  horses,  but  to  be 
ready  to  leave  this  place  the  moment  you  hear  me  call." 

The  barbarian  was  in  the  meanwhile  feasting  at  his  own 
table  with  a  number  of  his  relations  and  a  son-in-law,  to 
whom  he  wished  to  do  especial  honour.  As  they  left  the 
table  at  midnight  to  go  to  bed,  Leon  followed  this  son-in- 
law  to  his  apartment,  and  presented  him  with  a  cup  of  wine. 

"You  are  very  high  in  the  confidence  of  my  father-in-law/' 
said  the  son-in-law,  jocularly ;  "but,  suppose  you  had  the 
power,  when  would  you  have  the  will  to  jump  on  the  back  of 
one  of  his  horses,  and  make  a  dash  for  your  own  country?" 

"  I  hope  to  do  it  to-night,  please  God,"  said  Leon,  adopt- 
ing the  same  tone  of  pleasantry,  with  great  self-possession. 

"Then,  please  God  too,"  returned  the  other,  laughing,  "my 
servants  will  keep  a  sharp  look  out,  for  I  must  see  that  you 
don't  take  away  any  property  of  mine  ; "  and  they  left  one 
another  in  this  pleasant  way. 

When  the  whole  household  was  asleep,  Leon  softly 
called  Attalus,  whose  horses  were  ready  saddled,  and  asked 
him  if  he  had  a  sword.  "  I  have  nothing  but  a  small 
spear,"  said  Attalus. 

Leon  went  straight  into  his  master's  room,  and  took  down 
his  sword  and  buckler,  not  without  awakening  him,  how- 


ATTALUS.  1 3 

ever,  for  he  called  out  to  know  who  was  there.  "  Only 
Leon,"  replied  the  slave;  "  I  am  going  to  wake  Attalus,  to 
make  sure  of  his  being  up  in  time  to  take  the  horses  to 
grass,  for  he  is  as  sound  asleep  as  a  drunken  man." 

"  Oh  !  is  that  all  ?  "  murmured  the  master ;  "  very  well," 
and  he  turned  over  and  went  to  sleep  again. 

Leon  stole  out,  and  gave  the  weapons  to  the  young  man ; 
and,  by  nothing  less  than  a  miracle,  found  the  doors  of  the 
court-yard  open,  though  they  had  been  closed  at  nightfall, 
with  heavy  iron  wedges,  for  the  better  security  of  the  horses. 
They  both  gave  thanks  to  God,  and  at  once  made  off,  taking 
with  them  all  the  horses,  and  their  few  personal  effects  as 
slaves.  But  at  Moselle  they  were  obliged  to  leave  both  horses 
and  effects  behind  for  fear  of  awakening  the  suspicion  of  some 
persons  they  overtook  there  ;  and  once  rid  of  these  encum- 
brances, they  easily  gained  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river  by 
floating  over  on  their  bucklers.  The  darkness  favoured  them ; 
and  they  soon  found  shelter  and  concealment  in  a  forest. 
They  stayed  there  till  they  had  been  three  whole  days  and 
nights  without  tasting  food,  till  at  length,  by  the  special  favour 
of  Providence,  they  found  a  plum-tree,  the  fruit  of  which 
served  to  satisfy  their  more  pressing  and  immediate  wants. 
They  then  started  with  renewed  strength  on  their  journey, 
and  took  the  road  to  Champagne.  They  had  not  gone  far 
when  they  heard  the  sound  of  hoofs,  and  they  hastily  hid 
themselves  in  a  thicket  of  brier,  taking  care,  however,  to  draw 
their  swords,  so  as  to  be  ready  to  defend  themselves  in  the 
last  extremity.  A  moment  after  a  number  of  horsemen  drew 
up  at  the  thicket,  and  one  of  them  was  heard  to  say,  "  Why 
cannot  we  find  these  wretches  ?  I  swear  if  I  came  across 
them,  I  would  hang  the  one  and  hack  the  other  in  pieces 
with  my  sword."  It  was  the  voice  of  the  barbarian,  their 


14  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

master,  who  had  ridden  from  Rheims  in  search  of  them,  and 
who  would  certainly  have  found  them  on  the  way  if  the 
darkness  had  not  been  in  their  favour.  The  troop  then 
pushed  forward  again,  and  the  sound  of  their  hoofs  was 
soon  lost  in  the  distance. 

The  two  fugitives  resumed  their  journey,  reached  Rheims 
at  nightfall,  and  asked  the  first  person  they  met  in  the 
city  the  way  to  the  house  of  the  priest  Pantellus.  It  was 
Sunday,  and  as  they  went  through  the  great  square  on 
their  way  to  the  house,  the  bell  sounded  for  matins.  When 
they  entered  the  priest's  dwelling,  Leon  disclosed  to  the 
good  man  the  name  and  rank  of  Attalus.  "  My  dream 
is  made  out,"  said  the  overjoyed  father;  "for  this  very 
night  in  my  sleep  I  saw  two  doves  fly  towards  my  threshold, 
and  perch  upon  my  hand,  and  one  of  them  was  a  white  one 
and  the  other  black."  (The  reader  will  bear  in  mind  that 
Leon  was  a  negro).  "  God  forgive  us,"  replied  the  slave, 
"for  not  paying  due  observance  to  his  holy  day."  (On 
Sunday  no  one  took  nourishment  till  after  mass.)  "But 
we  entreat  you  give  us  something  to  eat,  for  this  is  the 
fourth  time  we  have  seen  the  sun  rise  without  breaking  our 
fast." 

The  priest  hid  the  two  young  men,  gave  them  some 
brertd  steeped  in  wine,  and  went  to  matins. 

The  barbarian,  by-and-by,  appeared  on  the  scene,  still  in 
hot  and  eager  pursuit  of  his  slaves  ;  but  he  had  to  go  away 
again  without  them,  for  the  priest  deliberately  put  him  on  a 
wrong  scent,  out  of  his  great  friendship  for  Bishop  Gregory. 
They  then  sat  down  to  the  uninterrupted  enjoyment  of  a 
good  meal;  and  they  remained  two  days  with  the  good 
priest  until  they  had  quite  recruited  their  strength,  and  were 
enabled  to  pursue  their  journey  towards  their  own  home, 


RICHARD,    DUKE   OF   NORMANDY.  15 

which  they  reached  without  any  further  trouble.  The  bishop, 
transported  with  joy  at  the  sight  of  them,  fell  weeping  on  the 
neck  of  Attalus  :  and  as  a  special  mark  of  his  gratitude  to 
the  preserver  of  his  nephew,  he  gave  Leon  and  all  his  family 
their  freedom,  with  as  much  land  as  sufficed  for  their  sub- 
sistence for  the  rest  of  their  days.  (Histoire  Ecdesiastique  des 
Francs,  bk.  iii.,  ch.  xv.,  translated  by  M  Henri  Bordier.) 
Attalus  afterwards  became  Count  cf  Autun. 


RICHARD,  DUKE  OF  NORMANDY. 

TENTH  CENTURY. 

AFTER  the  assassination  of  William  Longsword,  Duke  of 
Normandy,  near  Pecquigny,  on  tke  Somme,  his  infant  son 
Richard  was  called  to  the  succession.  Louis  d'Outre-Mer, 
who  had  fixed  his  eyes  on  the  throne,  contrived  to  get  the 
young  prince  in  his  power,  and  to  have  him  sent  to  Laon, 
under  pretence  of  giving  him  an  education  suited  to  his 
rank.  The  arch-plotter  placed  the  child  under  the  most 
rigorous  espionage,  and  treated  him  with  great  cruelty. 
He  even  threatened  to  hamstring  his  innocent  victim  by 
fire,  a  frightful  torture  which  the  policy  of  the  Middle  Ages 
did  not  disdain  to  use  as  a  means  for  depriving  princes  of 
their  thrones. 

The  young  prince's  steward,  Osmond,  hearing  of  the  king's 
determination,  and  foreseeing  the  terrible  lot  in  store  for  the 
child,  sent  messengers  to  apprise  the  Normans  of  the  peril- 
ous position  of  their  lord.  The  news  excited  the  utmost 
anxiety  and  alarm  throughout  all  Normandy ;  and  during  a 
three  days'  fast  of  the  entire  people,  the  clergy  prayed  con- 
tinually for  the  safety  of  the  captive.  Osmond,  meanwhile, 


1 6  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

by  the  adVice  of  Yvon,  the  father  of  William  de  Belesme, 
found  an  opportunity  to  advise  the  young  prince  to  pretend 
to  be  very  ill,  and  to  take  to  his  bed  as  if  he  never  hoped  to 
rise  from  it  again.  The  child,  understanding  the  object  of 
his  steward's  instructions,  showed  great  intelligence  in  fol- 
lowing them,  and  stretched  himself  at  full  length  on  his  bed, 
to  all  appearance  at  the  point  of  death.  This  naturally  had 
the  effect  of  making  his  guardians  less  vigilant,  and  they 
soon  began  to  neglect  their  charge  of  the  seeming  invalid  to 
look  after  their  own  affairs.  When  Osmond  judged  that  the 
fitting  moment  had  arrived,  he  went  into  the  courtyard  of  the 
prince's  house,  and,  putting  the  child  in  a  bundle  of  grass 
which  he  found  there,  hoisted  him  on  his  shoulders  as  if  he 
were  going  to  carry  fodder  to  his  horse,  and  scaled  the  walls 
of  the  city  while  the  king  sat  at  supper  and  the  streets  were 
almost  deserted.  He  then  took  horse,  and  in  due  time 
arrived  at  Conci,  where  he  placed  the  child  in  the  care  of 
the  governor,  himself  pushing  forward,  till  he  reached  Senlis 
by  the  break  of  day.  Count  Bernard  showed  some  surprise 
at  the  sight  of  him,  and  made  many  eager  inquiries  about 
the  safety  of  the  child  ;  and  when  he  had  received  a  full 
account  of  all  that  had  been  done,  he  rode  away  with  the 
brave  steward  to  ask  help  of  Hugo  the  Great  The  appeal 
was  not  in  vain.  Hugo  remembered  an  oath  by  which  he 
had  engaged  to  protect  the  prince,  and  sent  a  large  army 
to  Conci,  whence  the  fugitive  was  conducted  in  state  to 
Senlis,  to  the  great  joy  of  the  entire  people.  (Guillaumc  at 
fumieges  :  II istoire  des  Nor  mauds,  bk.  iv.,  ch.  iv.) 


LOUIS    II.,    COUNT    OF    FLANDERS.  17 

LOUIS  //.,  COUNT  OF  FLANDERS. 

I347- 

WHEN  Louis  II.,  Count  of  Flanders,  had  succeeded  his 
father,  Louis  I.,  in  1346,  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  the 
Flemings  wished  him  to  marry  Isabella,  daughter  of  the  King 
of  England,  while  Duke  John  of  Brabant  and  Philip  VI. 
of  Valois,  King  of  France,  had  come  to  an  understanding  to 
unite  the  young  count  to  the  daughter  of  Duke  John.  Louis 
II.,  on  his  part,  refused  the  marriage  which  his  subjects 
wished  to  force  on  him,  "  Being,"  says  Froissart,  "  unwilling 
to  marry  the  daughter  of  the  man  who  had  murdered  his 
father,  even  if  she  brought  him  half  the  kingdom  of  England 
for  her  portion."  "  When  the  Flemings  heard  that,"  the 
old  chronicler  continues,  "  they  said  their  lord  was  too  much 
of  a  Frenchman,  and  was  badly  advised,  and  that  he  would 
not  do  for  them  at  all  if  he  did  not  mean  to  take  their 
counsel.  So  they  laid  hands  upon  him,  though  with  all 
courtesy  and  tenderness,  and  put  him  into  prison,  telling 
him  he  must  remain  there  until  he  saw  fit  to  do  as  they 
wished. 

"The  young  count  was  shut  up  by  his  subjects  a  long  while, 
and  he  even  began  to  be  in  some  danger,  for  his  firmness 
provoked  them.  At  last,  however,  he  gave  way,  or  pretended 
to  do  so,  and  told  those  about  him  that  he  would  do  as  his 
people  wished,  since  they  were  dearer  to  him  than  any  other. 
This  rejoiced  the  •  Flemings  mightily,  and  they  at  once 
softened  the  excessive  rigours  of  his  captivity.  They  allowed 
him  to  extend  his  walks  as  far  as  the  river,  to  his  great  joy 
though  he  was  still  attended  by  guards,  who  had  orders 
never  to  leave  him  a  moment  out  of  their  sight.  When  this 
had  lasted  a  pretty  long  while,  the  young  count  seemed  to 

c 


1 8  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

yield  absolutely,  and  told  the  Flemings  that  he  was  now 
quite  willing  to  many  the  lady  of  their  choice.  They  ran  in 
great  haste  with  the  news  to  the  King  and  Queen  of  England, 
who  were  before  Calais,  and  signified  to  their  majesties  that 
if  they  would  take  their  daughter  to  the  abbey  of  Bergues, 
the  young  count  should  be  there  to  meet  her,  and  the  pre- 
liminaries to  the  marriage  should  be  at  once  concluded. 
This  arrangement  was  actually  carried  out;  the  young 
people  were  betrothed  at  the  abbey,  and  the  Flemings  once 
more  took  the  count  back  to  his  prison  for  safe  keeping 
until  the  marriage. 

"  The  count,"  continues  Froissart,  "  still  went  down  to  the 
river  every  day  with  his  guards,  but  he  pretended  to  look 
forward  to  the  marriage  with  so  much  joy  that  they  did  not 
think  it  needful  to  watch  him  half  so  narrowly  as  before. 
But  they  did  not  quite  know  the  temper  of  their  young  lord, 
for  submissive  as  he  was  to  outward  seeming,  he  was  soon 
to  prove  that  he  had  at  heart  all  the  courage  of  a  Frenchman. 
It  wanted  scarcely  a  week  to  the  day  fixed  for  the  marriage, 
when  he  went  out  one  morning  to  fly  his  falcon  by  the  river. 
His  falconer  started  one  bird,  himself  another ;  and  when 
the  two  falcons  were  seen  in  hot  pursuit  of  the  same  prey, 
the  count  ran  forward  as  if  carried  away  by  the  excitement 
of  the  chase,  and  encouraged  them  with  his  cries.  This 
ruse  enabled  him  to  reach  the  open  fields  without  suspicion, 
and,  once  there,  he  clapped  spurs  to  his  horse,  and  in  an 
instant  was  lost  to  view.  He  hardly  paused  till  he  came 
to  Artois,  where  he  felt  safe,  and  he  lost  no  time  in  laying 
his  case  before  King  Philip  and  the  French  people,  and 
telling  them  by  what  a  fine  stratagem  he  had  escaped  from 
.  his  own  people  and  the  English.  The  King  of  France  was 
greatly  overjoyed,  and  told  the  young  man  he  had  done 


THE    DUKE    OF   ALBANY.  19 

more  than  well,  and  the  French  people  said  the  same.  The 
poor  English,  on  the  contrary,  seemed  to  think  that  he  had 
betrayed  them."  (Froissart 's  Chronicles,  bk.  i.,  ch.  xxxi.) 


THE  DUKE   OF  ALBANY. 

FIFTEENTH   CENTURY. 

JAMES  TIL,  King  of  Scotland,  saw,  not  without  misgiving, 
that  his  two  brothers,  the  Duke  of  Albany  and  the  Earl  of 
Mar,  were  greatly  beloved  by  his  subjects  ;  and  this  feeling 
was  soon  changed  into  one  of  positive  hate,  thanks  to  the 
whisperings  of  certain  evil  counsellors  who  were  about  his 
person/  These  wretches,  well  knowing  the  feeble  nature 
they  had  to  deal  with,  threw  the  King  into  a  very  sickness  of 
terror  with  impossible  stories  of  his  brothers'  design  against 
his  crown  and  life. 

The  Earl  of  Mar,  they  told  him,  had  obtained  a  positive 
assurance  from  certain  sorcerers  that  his  royal  kinsman 
would  die  by  the  hand  of  a  near  relation,  and  they  brought 
a  sorcerer  of  their  own  to  the  palace  to  say  that  there  was  a 
lion  in  Scotland  which  would  be  torn  in  pieces  by  its  own 
whelps.  This  was  enough  for  the  king ;  his  cowardly  spirit 
was  frightened  into  energy  and  decision,  and  he  ordered  the 
arrest  of  his  brothers.  Albany  was  thrown  into  Edinburgh 
Castle,  but  the  fate  of  Mar  was  determined  on  at  once.  He 
was  suffocated  in  a  bath,  according  to  some  historians ;  or, 
according  to  others,  bled  to  the  last  drop  of  his  blood. 

Albany  was  in  great  danger  of  the  same  miserable  lot, 
but  he  had  friends  both  in  France  and  in  Scotland  who  were 
resolved  not  to  let  him  perish  without  making  an  effort  to 
save  his  life.  They  were  not  long  in  forming  their  plans. 

c  2 


20  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

A  little  sloop  sailed  into  Leith  Roads  with  a  cargo  ol 
Gascony  wines,  of  which  two  small  casks  were  sent  as  a 
present  to  the  captive  prince.  The  governor  of  the  castle 
allowed  them  to  be  taken  into  the  chamber  in  which  his 
prisoner  was  confined,  and  when  the  duke  came  to  dip  into 
them,  he  found  in  one  a  ball  of  wax,  containing  a  letter 
urging  him  to  escape  and  make  his  way  to  the  water-side, 
where  he  would  find  the  little  vessel  waiting  for  him.  In 
the  other  cask  there  was  a  coil  of  rope,  which  would  enable 
him  to  drop  from  the  walls  of  his  prison  to  the  rock  on 
which  the  castle  stands.  His  faithful  chamberlain,  who 
shared  his  captivity,  promised  to  aid  him  in  the  enterprise. 

The  main  point  was  to  make  sure  of  the  captain  of  the 
guard.  Albany,  therefore,  invited  this  officer  to  sup  with 
him  under  the  pretext  of  wishing  to  have  his  judgment  on 
the  wine.  The  invitation  was  accepted,  and  the  captain, 
having  as  usual  posted  his  men  with  due  circumspection, 
led  three  of  them  into  the  duke's  room  with  him,  and  took 
his  place  at  table. 

The  meal  over,  the  duke  proposed  a  game  of  trictrac,  and 
took  care  while  it  was  going  on  to  ply  his  guest  freely  with 
the  wine,  while  his  chamberlain  was  no  less  attentive  to  the 
three  soldiers.  The  drink,  and  the  heat  of  a  great  fire, 
near  which  they  had  artfully  placed  him,  soon  made  the 
officer  very  drowsy,  and  the  men  too  began  to  nod  their 
he"ads. 

Their  time  was  come  :  the  duke,  who  was  a  strong  man, 
suddenly  jumped  up,  and  with  one  blow  of  a  poniard  laid 
the  captain  dead  at  his  feet.  In  another  moment  he  had 
despatched  two  of  the  soldiers ;  while  the  chamberlain  with 
his  own  dagger  finished  the  third.  Their  work  was  the 
easier  to  do  as  the  drink  and  the  fire  together  had  almost 


THE    DUKE    OF   ALBANY.  21 

stupefied  the  poor  wretches  before  a  blow  was  struck. 
After  they  had  taken  the  keys  out  of  the  captain's  pockets, 
they  threw  the  bodies  on  the  fire,  and  making  their  way  to 
an  out-of-the-way  corner  of  the  wails,  began  their  perilous 
descent. 

The  chamberlain  went  down  first  to  try  the  cord,  but  it 
was  too  short,  and  he  fell  and  broke  his  leg.  He  uttered 
no  cry  of  pain,  but  simply  told  his  master  the  cause  of  the 
disaster.  The  duke  went  back  to  fetch  his  bed-clothes, 
and  finally  made  the  descent  in  safety.  His  first  care  was 
to  provide  for  the  injured  man  ;  and  he  did  not  bestow  a 
thought  on  himself  till  he  had  carried  his  faithful  dependent 
to  a  hut  where  he  might  remain  in  perfect  security  until  his 
recovery.  This  done,  he  flew  to  the  sea-shore,  and  a  boat 
answering  to  the  hail — at  the  signal  agreed  on — he  boarded 
the  sloop,  which  instantly  set  sail  for  France. 

During  the  night,  the  guards,  who  knew  that  their  officer 
had  three  men  with  him  in  the  duke's  room,  had  no  sus- 
picion of  what  was  passing.  But  when  at  daybreak  they 
saw  the  cord  hanging  from  the  wall,  they  took  the  alarm,  and 
rushed  hastily  into  the  apartment,  when  they  stumbled  over 
the  body  of  one  soldier  lying  across  the  door\vay,  and  saw 
those  of  the  captain  and  the  two  other  men  smouldering 
amid  the  dying  embers  in  the  large  fireplace.  The  King 
expressed  much  surprise  at  this  extraordinary  escape,  and 
he  could  not  be  brought  to  believe  in  it  till  he  had  seen 
the  place  with  his  own  eyes.  (Sir  Walter  Scott's  History  oj 
Scotland t  vol.  i.,  ch.  xix.) 


22  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

JAMES    V.,  KING  OF  SCOTLAND. 

SIXTEENTH   CENTURY. 

SIR  GEORGE  DOUGLAS  and  his  brother,  the  Earl  of  Anmis, 

7  o 

who  had  married  Queen  Margaret  of  Scotland,  had  obtained 
possession  of  the  person  of  the  young  King  James  V.,  then 
a  child  ;  and  the  Earl  of  Angus  administered  the  kingdom, 
and  discharged  all  the  functions  of  a  regent  without  assum- 
ing the  title.  In  a  word,  these  two  lords  manoeuvred  so  as 
to  substitute  their  family  for  the  reigning  one  upon  the 
throne  of  Scotland.  Several  attempts  for  the  King's  de- 
liverance had  failed,  and  even  two  great  battles  had  been 
fought  without  success  by  the  partisans  of  James  V.  At 
the  commencement  of  the  second  battle,  George  Douglas, 
seeing  that  the  King  was  eagerly  watching  an  opportunity 
to  escape,  said,  "  It  is  useless  for  your  Grace  to  think  of 
getting  out  of  our  hands ;  if  our  enemies  held  you  by  one 
arm,  and  we  by  the  other,  we  would  see  you  torn  in  pieces 
rather  than  loosen  our  grip."  To  make  quite  sure  of  their 
prize,  they  appointed  a'hundred  chosen  men  to  guard  the 
youthful  monarch,  commanded  by  one  of  their  own  family, 
Douglas  of  Parkhead. 

Every  attempt  by  open  force  having  thus  failed,  James 
resolved  to  have  recourse  to  stratagem.  He  persuaded  his 
mother,  Queen  Margaret,  to  give  up  her  castle  of  Stirling  to 
him,  and  to  place  it  under  the  command  of  a  gentleman  in 
whom  he  had  confidence.  All  this  was  done  very  secretly, 
and  the  King,  having  thus  prepared  a  possible  retreat,  began 
to  seek  an  opportunity  of  flying  to  it.  The  better  to  disarm 
the  vigilance  of  the  Douglases,  he  showed  such  deference 
to  the  Earl  of  Angus,  that  people  began  to  think  he  had 
gone  over  to  that  nobleman's  party,  and  had  become  re- 


JAMES    V.,    KING   OF   SCOTLAND.  23 

signed  to  the  loss  of  his  own  liberty.  He  was  then  living 
at  Falkland,  a  royal  residence  very  favourably  situated  for 
hunting  and  falconry,  his  favourite  amusements. 

The  Earl  of  Angus  and  Archibald  and  George  Douglas 
had  all  three  left  Falkland  on  various  errands  of  business 
or  pleasure,  and  no  one  remained  near  the  King  but  Douglas 
of  Parkhead,  with  the  hundred  men  on  whose  vigilance 
the  family  knew  they  could  rely.  James  saw  the  moment 
was  favourable.  To  allay  the  suspicions  of  his  guards,  he 
announced  his  intention  of  rising  early  on  a  certain  morn- 
ing to  hunt  the  stag,  and  Douglas  of  Parkhead  never 
doubting  that  this  was  said  in  good  faith,  went  to  bed  after 
posting  his  sentinels  in  the  usual  manner. 

But  the  King  no  sooner  found  himself  alone  than  he 
called  his  trusty  page,  John  Hart,  and  looking  at  him 
very  earnestly,  said,  "  John,  do  you  love  me?" 

"  More  than  I  love  myself,"  replied  the  page. 

"And  are  you  willing  to  risk  everything  for  me  ?" 

"  My  life,  if  needs  be,"  replied  the  youth. 

The  King  then  made  him  acquainted  with  his  plan,  and 
hastily  putting  on  a  servant's  livery,  went  to  the  stables 
with  him,  as  though  to  prepare  for  the  next  day's  hunt.  The 
guards,  failing  to  recognise  him  in  this  disguise,  suffered  him 
to  pass  without  hindrance.  The  King  had  previously  taken 
another  of  his  servants  into  his  confidence,  so  that  when 
he  and  the  page  reached  the  stable  they  found  three  good 
horses,  ready  saddled  and  bridled,  awaiting  them. 

James  mounted  at  once  with  his  two  faithful  servants  and 
galloped  all  night,  light  as  a  bird  just  escaped  from  its  cage. 
At  break  of  day  he  passed  the  bridge  of  Stirling,  and  as 
there  was  no  other  means  of  crossing  the  Forth  than  by  this 
bridge  or  by  a  boat,  he  ordered  the  gates  which  barred  the 


24  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

passage  to  be  closed  against  all.  comers,  without  exception. 
He  was  very  tired  when  he  reached  Stirling  Castle,  where 
he  was  received  with  joy  by  the  governor,  whom,  as  we  have 
seen,  he  had  himself  been  the  means  of  placing  in  that 
fortress.  The  drawbridge  was  raised,  the  portcullis  lowered, 
the  guards  were  doubled — in  fact,  every  possible  precaution 
was  taken  that  prudence  could  dictate.  But  the  King  was 
so  much  afraid  of  again  falling  into  the  power  of  the  Douglas, 
that  in  spite  of  his  fatigue,  he  refused  to  go  to  bed  until  he 
had  himself  placed  the  keys  of  the  castle  under  his  pillow. 

There  was  great  alarm  at  Falkland  on  the  following  morn- 
ing. George  Douglas  had  returned  on  the  very  night  of  the 
King's  flight  at  about  eleven  o'clock,  and  had  at  once  asked 
for  his  prisoner.  He  was  told  that  James  had  gone  to  bed 
early,  wishing  to  rise  in  good  time  for  the  hunt ;  and  he 
himself  retired,  perfectly  satisfied  that  all  was  safe.  But  in 
the  morning  he  was  destined  to  hear  very  different  news, 
for  a  certain  Peter  Carmichael,  baillie  of  Abernethy,  came 
rapping  at  his  door,  to  ask  him  if  lie  knew  where  the  King 
was  at  that  moment. 

"  He  is  asleep  in  his  bedchamber,"  said  Sir  George. 

"You  are  deceived,"  replied  Carmichael;  "he  passed 
over  Stirling  Bridge  last  night." 

Douglas,  jumping  out  of  bed,  ran  to  the  King's  room, 
knocked  loudly,  and  receiving  no  answer,  broke  open  the 
door.  Finding  the  apartment  empty,  he  cried,  "Treason  ! 
the  King  is  gone  !"  dispatched  couriers  to  his  brothers,  and 
sent  out  in  every  direction  to  call  his  partisans  together  for 
the  recapture  of  James.  But  the  King  had  by  this  time  pro- 
claimed by  sound  of  trumpet  that  he  would  declare  traitor 
every  person  bearing  the  name  of  Douglas  who  should  ap- 
proach within  twelve  miles  of  his  person,  or  take  any  part 


SECUNDUS   CURION.  25 

in  the  administration  of  the  kingdom.  The  Douglases  were 
obliged  to  submit,  and  from  that  time  commenced  the  decay 
of  their  house,  for  James  could  not  be  brought  to  pardon 
them.  (Sir  Walter  Scott's  History  of  Scotland,  ch.  xxiii.) 


SECUNDUS    CURION. 

SIXTEENTH    CENTURY. 

CCELIUS  SECUNDUS  CURION,  a  zealous  Lutheran,  having 
dared  to  give  the  lie  in  open  church  to  a  Jacobin  who  had 
heaped  on  him  the  most  odious  calumnies  from  the  pulpit, 
was  immediately  arrested  by  order  of  the  inquisitor  of  Turin. 
He  was  dragged  from  prison  to  prison,  but  he  at  last  made 
his  escape  so  cleverly  that  his  enemies  could  only  account 
for  it  by  accusing  him  of  magic.  In  order  to  exculpate 
himself  from  an  accusation  extremely  dangerous  at  that 
time,  he  published  an  account  of  his  escape  in  a  little  Latin 
dialogue,  entitled  "  Probus,"  from  which  we  select  the  follow- 
ing passages  for  translation  : — 

"  I  had  been  shut  up  for  eight  days  in  my  new  prison," 
says  Curion,  "  with  my  feet  fastened  to  enormous  pieces  of 
wood,  when,  by  nothing  less  than  a  sudden  inspiration  from 
Heaven,  I  was  urged  to  supplicate  the  young  man  in  charge 
of  me  to  release  me  from  at  least  one  of  my  fetters.  The 
other,  as  I  pointed  out  to  him,  would  be  quite  heavy  enough 
to  ensure  my  safe  custody.  As  he  was  merciful,  and  bore 
no  malice  against  me,  he  at  length  suffered  himself  to  be 
persuaded,  and  set  one  of  my  feet  at  liberty.  He  had  no 
sooner  left  me  than  I  set  to  work  to  carry  out  a  plan  I  had 
already  formed  for  my  escape.  I  tore  my  shirt  into  shreds, 
and  taking  off  my  stocking  and  slipper,  stuffed  them  with 


26  „  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

these  rags  till  I  had  made  a  very  fair  model  of  a  leg  and  foot. 
But  though  the  form  and  contour  of  the  flesh  were  there,  you 
had  only  to  touch  the  new  limb  to  find  that  it  was  lament- 
ably deficient  in  bone.  What  was  to  be  done  ?  I  looked 
about  everywhere,  till  at  last  my  eye  lighted  on  a  stick 
hidden  away  under  a  settle.  I  seized  it  eagerly  and  soon 
fashioned  bones  for  my  leg ;  and  then,  hiding  my  real  limb 
under  my  cloak,  I  sat  calmly  awaiting  the  success  of  my 
ruse.  After  a  time  the  young  man  came  in  to  pay  me  his 
usual  visit  and  to  ask  me  how  I  did.  '  I  should  feel  better/ 
I  said,  pointing  to  my  dummy,  '  if  you  would  kindly  fasten 
this  leg  to  the  fetter  and  let  me  give  the  other  a  rest.'  He 
consented,  and  chained  up  my  false  limb  with  all  imaginable 
care." 

The  rest  is  soon  told.  The  prisoner  waited  till  nightfall, 
and  as  soon  as  he  heard  his  attendants  snoring,  quietly 
parted  company  with  his  fettered  leg,  undressed  it,  clothed 
himself  again,  and  softly  stole  out  of  his  cell,  which  no 
one  had  taken  the  trouble  to  fasten  on  the  outside.  Even 
then  his  difficulties  were  not  at  an  end;  but  he  at  length 
found  means  to  scale  the  outer  walls  of  his  prison  and 
to  regain  his  liberty.  (Ludovic  Lalanne:  Curiosities  of 
Biography.) 

EENVENUTO  CELLINI. 
1538. 

BENVENUTO  CELLINI  lived  nearly  twenty  years  at  Rome, 
producing  those  masterpieces  of  work  in  the  precious  metals 
which  have  immortalised  his  name.  He  was  high  in  favour 
with  Clement  VII.,  and  was  sou;  lit  after  and  entrusted  with 


BENVENUTO   CELLINI.  27 

the  most  important  commissions  by  the  princes  of  the 
Church  and  other  great  personages  who  visited  the  Eternal 
City.  He  had  won  the  especial  regard  of  Clement  by  his 
courage  in  taking  part  in  the  defence  of  the  castle  of  St. 
Angelo  when  it  was  besieged  by  the  army  of  the  Constable 
of  Bourbon ;  and  such  was  the  confidence  placed  in  him  at 
that  time  that  all  the  costliest  things  among  the  Papal 
treasures  were  given  to  him  to  be  broken  up,  and  he  was 
allowed  to  hide  the  jewels  for  safe  keeping  in  his  own 
clothes.  He  afterwards  engraved  for  the  same  Pope  and 
his  successor  a  series  of  coins,  which  have  always  been  con- 
sidered by  the  best  judges  to  rival  the  finest  productions  of 
antiquity.  But  his  was  not  the  mild  temper  of  the  artist, 
nor  was  the  history  of  his  studio  all  the  history  of  his  life. 
He  was  brutal  and  ungovernable  in  his  rage,  and  licentious 
in  his  love ;  and  he  was  feared  and  hated  almost  as  much  as 
he  was  admired,  although  an  easy  tolerance  of  vice  was  the 
fashion  of  the  time.  A  certain  goldsmith,  named  Pompeo, 
had  incurred  his  enmity  by  trying  to  deprive  him  of  the 
favour  of  Clement  VII.;  and  during  the  interregnum  which 
followed  the  death  of  that  Pope,  he  stabbed  the  unfortunate 
artist  in  open  day  and  in  the  very  midst  of  Rome.  But  he 
escaped  the  direct  punishment  due  to  this  atrocious  crime, 
for  Paul  III.,  who  succeeded  to  the  Papal  throne,  not  only 
pardoned  him,  but  gave  hiin  many  important  commissions. 
He  was  actively  engaged  in  these  labours  when  he  was 
threatened  by  a  new  danger — probably  the  consequence  of 
a  former  outrage.  A  workman  accused  him  of  having  stolen 
some  of  the  jewels  entrusted  to  his  keeping  during  the 
siege  of  Rome.  Paul  could  afford  to  forgive  the  murder  of 
a  subject,  but  he  could  not  look  so  lightly  on  a  theft  by 
which  he  himself  was  likely  to  be  a  sufferer,  and  he  began  to 


28  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

mistrust  and  to  dislike  Cellini  before  he  had  given  himself 
much  pains  to  examine  into  the  truth  of  the  accusa.ioa 
against  him.  Added  to  this,  too,  the  artist  had  a  mortal  foe 
near  the  person  of  his  patron  in  Peter  Louis  Farnese,  the 
son  of  Paul.  One  such  enemy  would  have  been  enough  for 
his  ruin  ;  with  two,  he  could  hardly  fail  to  be  utterly  lost. 

"  One  morning,"  says  Cellini  in  his  memoirs,  "  I  put  on  my 
cloak  to  take  a  short  walk,  and  was  turning  down  the  Julian 
street  to  enter  the  quarter  called  Chiavica,  when  Crispino,  cap- 
tain of  the  city  guard,  met  me  with  his  whole  band  of  sbirri, 
and  told  me  roughly  I  was  the  Pope's  prisoner.  I  answered 
him,  '  Crispino,  you  mistake  your  man.'  '  By  no  means," 
said  Crispino,  '  you  are  the  clever  artist  Benvenuto ;  I  know 
you  very  well,  and  have  orders  to  conduct  you  to  the  Castle 
of  St.  Angelo,  where  noblemen  and  men  of  genius  like 
yourself  are  confined.1  As  four  of  his  myrmidons  were 
going  to  fall  upon  me  and  deprive  me  forcibly  of  a  dagger 
which  I  had  by  my  side,  and  of  the  rings  on  my  fingers, 
Crispino  ordered  them  not  to  offer  to  touch  me.  It  was 
sufficient,  he  said,  for  them  to  do  their  office  and  prevent 
me  from  making  my  escape.  Then  coming  up  to  me,  he 
very  politely  demanded  my  arms.  Whilst  I  was  giving  them 
up,  I  recollected  that  it  was  in  that  very  place  that  I  had 
formerly  killed  Pompeo.  They  conducted  me  to  the  castle, 
and  locked  me  up  in  one  of  the  upper  apartments  of  the 
tower.  This  was  the  first  time  I  ever  tasted  the  inside  of  a 
prison  ;  and  I  was  then  in  my  thirty-seventh  year." 

It  was  not  difficult  for  Benvenuto  to  disprove  the  charges 
against  him  ;  he  was,  nevertheless,  kept  in  prison  in  spite  of 
the  good  offices  of  Montluc,  the  ambassador  of  France,  who 
begged  for  his  release,  in  the  name  of  Francis  I.  The 
governor  of  St.  Angelo  was  a  Florentine,  and  he  showed 


I  then  tore  them  into  long  bands. 


BENVENUTO    CELLINI.  29 

every  attention  to  his  unfortunate  fellow-citizen,  even  allow- 
ing him  on  parole  a  certain  freedom  of  movement  within 
the  walls.  But  after  a  time  he  shut  him  up  closely  again ; 
and  then  once  more  restored  him  to  his  state  of  partial 
liberty. 

"•When  I  found,"  says  Benvenuto,  "that  I  was  being 
treated  with  so  much  rigour,  I  reflected  deeply  on  the  matter; 
and  I  said  to  myself,  '  If  this  man  should  again  happen  to  take 
such  a  freak,  and  not  choose  to  trust  me  any  longer,  I  should 
feel  myself  released  from  my  word,  and  should  make  a  trial 
of  my  own  skill.'  I  then  began  to  get  my  servants  to  bring 
me  new  thick  sheets,  and  did  not  send  back  the  dirty  ones ; 
and  when  they  asked  me  for  them,  I  told  them  that  I  had 
given  them  away  to  some  of  the  soldiers,  but  that  they  were 
not  to  speak  about  it  or  the  poor  fellows  would  run  the  risk 
of  being  sent  to  the  galleys.  I  hid  my  sheets  in  the  mattress 
that  served  me  for  a  bed,  and  burnt  the  straw  with  which  it 
was  stuffed,  bit  by  bit,  in  my  chimney,  to  make  room  for 
them.  I  then  tore  them  up  into  long  bands,  and  when  I 
had  enough  of  these  bands  to  reach  to  the  bottom  of  the 
tower,  I  told  my  servants  I  did  not  mean  to  give  away  any 
more  of  my  linen,  adding  that  they  were  to  bring  me  finer 
sheets  in  future,  and  I  would  return  them  the  dirty  ones. 

"The  constable  of  the  castle  had  annually  a  certain  dis- 
order which  totally  deprived  him  of  his  senses,  and  when  the 
fit  came  on  him  he  was  talkative  to  excess.  Every  year  he 
had  some  different  whim  :  at  one  time  he  thought  himself 
metamorphosed  into  a  pitcher  of  oil ;  at  another  he  believed 
himself  a  frog,  and  began  to  leap  around  like  one  ;  and  dgain 
he  imagined  he  was  dead,  and  it  was  found  necessary  to  hu 
mour  him  by  making  a  show  of  burying  him.  He  had, "in  fact, 
a  new  mania  every  year.  This  year  he  fancied  himself  a  bat, 


30  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

and  when  he  went  to  take  a  walk  he  sometimes  made  just 
such  a  noise  as  bats  do,  and  made  gestures  with  his  hands 
and  body  as  if  he  were  going  to  fly.  The  physicians,  who 
knew  his  disorder,  and  his  old  servants  procured  him  all  the 
amusements  they  could  think  of,  and  as  they  found  he  took 
very  great  pleasure  in  my  conversation,  they  often  fetched 
me  to  his  apartments,  where  the  poor  man  would  chat  with 
me  for  three  or  four  hours  at  a  time.  On  one  of  these 
occasions  he  asked  me  whether  I  had  ever  wished  to  fly.  I 
answered  that  I  had  always  been  readiest  to  attempt  such 
things  as  men  found  most  difficult,  and  that  with  regard  to 
flying,  as  God  had  given  me  a  body  admirably  well  calcu- 
lated for  running,  I  had  even  resolution  enough  to  attempt 
to  fly.  He  then  asked  me  to  explain  how  I  proposed  to 
do  that.  I  replied  that  when  I  attentively  considered  the 
several  creatures  that  fly,  and  thought  of  effecting  by  art 
what  they  do  by  the  force  of  nature,  I  did  not  find  one  so 
fit  to  imitate  as  the  bat.  As  soon  as  the  poor  man  heard 
mention  made  of  the  bat,  his  mania  for  the  year  turning  upon 
that  animal,  he  cried  out  aloud,  '  That's  very  true  :  a  bat  is 
the  thing.'  He  then  suddenly  turned  to  me  and  said, 
'  Would  you,  Benvenuto,  if  you  had  the  opportunity,  have 
the  heart  to  make  the  attempt  to  fly  ? '  I  answered  that  if 
he  would  give  me  permission,  I  had  courage  enough  to 
attempt  to  fly  as  far  as  Prati  by  means  of  a  pair  of  wings 
waxed  over.  '  I  should  like  to  see  you  fly,'  he  returned, 
'  but  as  the  Pope  has  enjoined  me  to  watch  over  you  with 
the  utmost  care,  and  I  know  that  you  have  the  cunning  of 
the  devil,  and  would  be  glad  of  the  opportunity  to  make 
your  escape,  I  mean  to  keep  you  locked  up  with  a  hundred 
keys  to  prevent  you  from  slipping  out  of  my  hands.'  I  then 
began  to  supplicate  him  afresh,  reminding  him  that  I  had 


BENVENUTO   CELLINI.  3! 

had  it  in  my  power  to  make  my  escape,  but  would  never 
avail  myself  of  the  opportunity  through  respect  for  the 
promise  I  had  given  him.  Whilst  I  was  uttering  these 
words  he  gave  peremptory  orders  that  I  should  be  bound, 
and  confined  a  closer  prisoner  than  ever. 

"  I  at  once  began  to  think  about  the  means  of  making 
my  escape.  As  soon  as  I  was  locked  in,  I  made  a  care- 
ful examination  of  my  prison,  and  thinking  that  I  had 
found  a  sure  way  out  of  it,  I  turned  over  several  plans  for 
descending  from  the  top  of  the  great  tower,  where  I  was, 
to  the  ground.  At  last,  guessing  the  length  of  line  which 
would  about  carry  me  down,  I  took  a  new  pair  of  sheets, 
cut  them  into  the  requisite  number  of  strips,  and  sewed  them 
fast  together.  The  next  thing  I  wanted  was  a  pair  of 
pincers,  which  I  stole  from  a  Savoyard  on  guard  at  the 
castle.  This  man  had  the  care  of  the  casks  and  the  cis- 
terns, and  likewise  worked  as  a  carpenter ;  and  as  he  had 
several  pairs  of  pincers,  and  one  amongst  others  which  was 
thick  and  large,  I  took  it,  thinking  it  would  suit  my  purpose, 
and  laid  it  in  the  tick  of  my  bed.  When  the  time  had  come 
for  making  use  of  the  pincers,  I  began  to  pull  at  the  nails 
fastening  the  plates  of  iron  fixed  upon  the  door;  and,  as 
the  door  was  double,  the  clenching  of  those  nails  could  not 
be  perceived.  I  exerted  my  utmost  efforts  to  draw  out  one 
of  them,  and  at  last,  with  great  difficulty  succeeded.  As 
soon  as  I  had  drawn  a  few,  I  was  again  obliged  to  torture 
my  invention  in  order  to  devise  some  expedient  to  prevent 
the  loss  being  perceived.  I  fmmediately  thought  of  mixing 
a  little  of  the  filings  of  the  rusty  iron  with  wax;  and,  as 
this  mixture  was  exactly  of  the  colour  of  the  heads  of  the 
rails  I  had  drawn,  I  counterfeited  a  resemblance  of  them 
on  the  iron  plates,  and  in  this  manner  imitated  in  wax  as 


32  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

many  as  I  drew.  I  left  each  of  the  plates  fastened  both  at 
top  and  bottom,  and  refixed  them  with  some  of  the  nails  I 
had  drawn  ;  but  the  nails  were  cut,  and  I  drove  them  in  only 
a  little  way,  so  that  they  just  served  to  hold  the  plates.  I 
found  it  a  very  difficult  matter  to  do  all  this,  because  the 
governor  dreamed  every  night  that  I  had  made  my  escape, 
and  used  to  send  often  to  have  the  prison  searched.  The 
man  who  came  on  these  visits  had  the  appearance  and  bear- 
ing of  one  of  the  city  guards.  His  name  was  Bozza,"and 
he  used  to  bring  with  him  another,  named  John  Pedignone  ; 
the  latter  was  a  soldier,  the  former  a  servant.  This  Pedi- 
gnone never  came  to  my  room  without  giving  me  abusive 
language.  The  other  one  confined  himself  to  examining  the 
plates  of  iron  I  have  mentioned,  as  well  as  the  whole  prison. 
I  constantly  said  to  him,  '  Look  after  me  well,  for  I  mean  to 
escape.'  These  words  once  made  him  very  angry  with  me, 
and  I  took  that  opportunity  of  depositing  all  my  tools — 
that  is  to  say,  my  pincers  and  a  tolerably  long  dagger, 
with  other  things  belonging  to  me — in  the  tick  of  my  bed, 
and  of  sweeping  the  room  myself,  as  soon  as  it  was  day- 
light, for  I  naturally  delighted  in  cleanliness,  and  on  this 
occasion  I  took  care  to  be  particularly  neat.  As  soon  as  I 
had  swept  the  room  I  made  my  bed  with  equal  care,  and 
adorned  it  with  flowers  which  were  every  morning  brought 
me  by  the  Savoyard.  When  Bozza  and  Pedignone  came 
near  the  bed,  I  told  them  angrily  to  keep  away  from  it  lest 
it  should  be  denied  by  their  touch ;  and  afterwards,  when 
merely  to  amuse  themselves1!  they  tumbled  the  sheets,  I 
added,  '  You  dirty  dogs,  keep  off,  or  I'll  draw  one  of  your 
swords  and  maul  you  as  you  were  never  mauled  before ! 
Do  you  think  your  paws  are  fit  to  touch  the  bed  of  a  man 
like  me  ?  If  I  made  up  my  mind  to  kill  you,  I  should  not 


BENVENUTO   CELLINI.  33 

ic.  the  least  hesitate  to  sacrifice  my  own  life  ;  so  be  warned 
in  time;  leave  me  to  my  own  troubles  and  sorrows,  and  do 
not  add  to  the  bitterness  of  my  lot,  or  I  will  show  you  what 
a  desperate  man  can  do.'  The  men  duly  repeated  all  this 
to  the  constable,  who  expressly  ordered  them  never  to  go 
near  my  bed,  to  unbuckle  their  swords  before  coming  to  my 
cell,  and  to  be  as  careful  as  possible  in  all  other  respects. 
The  object  of  all  this  on  my  part  was  to  secure  my  bed  from 
search,  and  I  gained  my  point. 

u  One  holiday  evening  the  constable  was  in  a  very  bad 
way,  and  his  mania  had  risen  to  such  a  pitch  that  he  did 
nothing  but  repeat  that  he  had  become  a  bat.  He  told  his 
attendants  to  take  no  notice  if  Benvenuto  should  escape,  for 
he  would  soon  be  caught  by  a  bat  so  much  better  able  to 
fly  by  night  than  himself.  '  Benvenuto,'  the  poor  man  was 
pleased  to  add,  '  is  a  counterfeit  bat ;  I  am  a  real  one ;  let 
me  alone  to  manage  him.  I'll  soon  have  him  back  again, 
I'll  be  bound.'  He  had  continued  in  this  state  for  several 
nights,  till  he  quite  tried  the  patience  of  all  his  servants,  as 
I  learned  from  my  faithful  Savoyard,  who  continued  very 
much  attached  to  me.  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  escape 
that  night,  let  what  would  happen,  and  I  began  by  praying 
fervently  to  Almighty  God  that  it  would  please  his  Divine 
Majesty  to  befriend  and  assist  me  in  my  hazardous  enter- 
prise. I  then  went  to  work,  and  was  employed  the  whole 
night  in  getting  everything  in  readiness.  Two  hours  before 
daybreak  I  took  the  iron  plates  from  the  door,  with  great 
trouble  and  difficulty,  for  the  bolt  and  the  wood  that  re- 
ceived it  made  a  great  resistance,  so  that  I  could  not  open 
them,  but  was  obliged  to  cut  the  wood.  I,  however,  at  last 
forced  the  door;  and  having  taken  with  me  the  slips  of 
linen  I  have  mentioned,  which  I  had  rolled  up  in  bundles 

D 


34  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

with  the  utmost  care,  I  got  out,  and  reached  the  right  side 
of  the  tower,  and  leaped  with  the  utmost  ease  upon  two 
tiles  of  the  roof  which  I  had  observed  from  within.  I  was 
in  a  white  doublet,  and  had  on  a  pair  of  white  leggings,  over 
which  I  wore  tight  boots  that  reached  half-way  up  my  legs, 
and  in  one  of  these  I  put  my  dagger.  I  then  took  the  end 
of  one  of  my  bundles  of  long  slips,  which  I  had  made  out 
of  the  sheets  of  my  bed,  and  fastened  it  to  a  tile  that  hap- 
pened to  jut  out  four  inches,  to  which  it  hung  like  a  stirrup. 
I  then  again  prayed  to  God  in  these  terms  :  '  Almighty  God, 
come  to  my  aid ;  for  thou  knowest  that  my  cause  is  just, 
and  that  I  aid  myself.'  Then  letting  myself  go  very  gently, 
and  supporting  myself  by  the  strength  of  my  arms,  I  reached 
the  ground.  There  was  no  moon,  but  the  night  was  clear. 
When  I  once  more  felt  the  earth  beneath  my  feet,  I  looked 
up  with  awe  at  the  immense  height  from  which  I  had  made 
so  adventurous  a  descent,  and  I  went  forward  very  joyfully 
believing  I  was  free,  though  that  was  by  no  means  the  case. 
"The  constable  had  built  on  this  side  of  the  castle  two 
pretty  high  walls,  which  enclosed  his  stables  and  his  hen- 
houses, and  which  were  closed  by  doors  with  very  strong 
bolts.  Despairing  of  being  able  to  leave  the  place  that  way, 
I  wandered  on  at  hazard,  reflecting  on  my  sad  position, 
when  my  foot  struck  suddenly  against  a  large  pole  covered 
with  straw.  I  reared  it,  though  not  without  great  difficulty, 
by  the  side  of  the  wall,  and  then  by  sheer  strength  of  arm  I 
climbed  to  the  top  of  it,  and  so  reached  the  parapet.  The 
end  of  the  pole  being  firmly  fixed  in  an  angle  of  the  coping 
stone,  I  could  not  draw  it  up  after  me,  but  it  afforded  me 
a  secure  fastening  for  my  second  band  (I  had  been  obliged 
to  leave  the  first  hanging  from  my  window  in  the  tower), 
and  by  this  means  I  reached  the  ground  on  the  other  side 


BENVENUTO   CELLINI.  35 

of  the  wall,  though  with  hands  torn  and  dripping  with  blood. 
I  was  very  greatly  fatigued,  but  after  I  had  rested  a  little 
I  felt  strong  enough  to  attempt  to  surmount  the  last  wall 
looking  towards  Prati.  I  accordingly  laid  my  roll  of  bands 
on  the  ground  for  a  moment,  and  was  just  about  to  throw 
one  of  them  over  a  battlement,  when  I  saw  a  sentinel 
standing  almost  by  my  side.  Feeling  that  not  only  the 
success  of  my  enterprise,  but  my  very  life  was  in  danger,  I 
was  preparing  to  attack  the  fellow,  when  he  saved  me  the 
trouble  by  taking  to  his  heels  as  soon  as  he  saw  the  glitter 
of  the  poniard  in  my  hand.  I  lost  no  time  in  getting  back 
to  my  bands,  and  then  I  saw  another  man  on  guard,  but  he 
appeared  not  to  wish  to  notice  me.  I  fastened  my  band  to 
the  battlement ;  I  clambered  up  the  wall  on  one  side,  and  I 
slid  down  it  on  the  other ;  but,  whether  from  fatigue  or  from 
a  miscalculation  as  to  the  distance  between  my  feet  and  the 
ground,  I  opened  my  hands  too  soon,  and  fell  head  first  to 
the  earth  with  such  violence  that  I  remained  unconscious  an 
hour  and  a  half,  as  nearly  as  I  can  judge. 

"The  freshness  of  early  morning  brought  me  to  myself,  but 
I  did  not  at  once  recover  my  memory.  It  seemed  to  me  that 
I  had  had  my  head  cut  off,  and  that  I  was  in  purgatory. 
But  as  my  reason  gradually  came  back,  I  saw  that  I  was 
outside  the  castle,  and  then  I  remembered  all  I  had  been 
doing.  I  put  my  hands  to  my  head,  and  found  that  it  was 
covered  with  blood.  There  was  no  serious  wound  upon 
my  body,  but  on  attempting  to  raise  myself,  I  found  I  had 
broken  my  right  leg  in  three  places  at  a  point  about  midway 
between  the  knee  and  the  heel.  Without  in  the  least  losing 
courage,  I  drew  my  knife  and  its  sheath  from  my  boot. 
There  was  a  great  ball  at  the  end  of  the  sheath,  and  this, 
pressing  on  the  bone  in  my  fall,  had  caused  the  fracture.  I 

L>  2 


36  WONDERFUL    ESCAPEb. 

threw  the  sheath  away,  and  cutting  up  what  little  of  the 
band  was  left  with  the  poniard,  I  set  the  leg  as  best  I  could 
and  knife  in  hand  began  to  crawl  slowly  on  my  knees  to- 
wards the  city  gate.  It  was- closed;  but  observing  that  one 
of  the  great  stones  that  formed  the  threshold  was  loose,  I 
managed  to  pick  it  out,  and  to  squeeze  my  body  through 
the  aperture.  It  was  more  than  five  hundred  paces  from 
the  place  where  I  had  fallen  to  this  gate. 

"  I  had  hardly  entered  Rome  when  a  number  of  prowling 
dogs  rushed  at  me,  and  tore  me  cruelly;  but  when  they 
returned  to  the  charge,  I  gave  them  a  taste  of  my  poniard, 
and  pricked  one  of  them  so  vigorously  that  he  limped  off 
with  a  hideous  howl  that  damped  the  ardour  of  the  rest. 
I  followed  his  example,  so  far  as  to  leave  that  place,  and  I 
set  out  on  my  knees  for  the  church  of  the  Traspontina. 

"  When  I  came  to  the  end  of  the  street  that  turns  down  to 
St.  Angelo,  I  directed  my  steps  towards  St.  Peter's.  It  was 
broad  day,  and  I  ran  some  risk  of  being  discovered;  so, 
seeing  a  water-carrier  pass  by  leading  a  heavily  laden  ass,  I 
called  out  to  him  to  take  me  on  his  shoulders  and  carry  me 
to  St.  Peter's  market-place.  '  I  am,'  said  I,  *  a  poor  fellow 
who  has  broken  his  leg  in  trying  to  preserve  the  honour  of 
a  lady.  I  had  to  leap  from  a  window  to  save  myself  from 
being  cut  to  pieces,  and  I  am  still  in  danger.  Take  me 
up  then,  I  beg  of  you,  and  you  shall  have  a  crown  in  gold 
for  your  trouble ; '  and  I  put  my  hand  to  my  purse,  where 
I  carried  a  good  number  of  these  tempters.  He  at  once 
lifted  me  in  his  arms,  and  carried  me  to  the  market-place, 
where  he  left  me  very  hastily,  and  went  back  to  find  the 
ass.  I  then  took  to  my  hands  and  knees  once  more,  and 
slowly  crawled  towards  the  Duke  Octavio's  house.  The 
duchess,  his  wife,  was  a  daughter  of  the  Emperor,  and  had 


n 

o_ 

3! 


p- 
cr 


BENVENUTO   CELLINI.  37 

been  married  to  Duke  Alexander  of  Florence.  Many  of  my 
friends  had  accompanied  this  great  princess  from  Florence 
to  Rome,  and  I  knew  that  she  was  extremely  well  disposed 
towards  me. 

"  I  crawled,  then,  towards  his  Excellency's  house,  where  I 
felt  certain  of  finding  safety.  But,  as  the  adventures  I  had 
gone  through  were  too  wonderful  for  a  mere  mortal,  God 
would  not  let  me  give  myself  up  to  the  vain  glory  which 
must  have  followed  an  absolute  success,  but  mercifully 
ordained  for  my  good  an  affliction  far  more  severe  than  any 
to  which  I  had  yet  been  subjected. 

"  While  I  was  on  my  way  to  St.  Peter's  market-place,  I 
was  recognised  by  a  servant  of  Cardinal  Cornaro,  who  was 
lodged  at  the  Vatican.  The  man  ran  at  once  to  his  master's 
bedroom,  woke  him,  and  said,  '  Benvenuto,  your  protege, 
is  below ;  he  has  escaped  from  the  castle,  and  he  is  dragging 
himself  along  all  covered  with  blood.  He  seems  to  have 
his  leg  broken,  and  there  is  no  saying  where  he  is  going.' 
'  Quick,'  said  the  cardinal,  '  run  and  bring  him  to  me — in 
this  room.'  When  I  came  before  him,  he  at  once  told  me 
I  had  nothing  to  fear,  and  he  sent  for  the  best  surgeons  in 
Rome  to  attend  upon  rne.  He  also  took  care  to  have  me 
placed  in  a  secret  apartment ;  and  having  thus  provided  for 
my  immediate  wants,  he  set  out  to  demand,  in  person,  my 
pardon  of  the  Pope. 

"By  this  time  there  was  a  great  stir  in  Rome,  for  the 
bands  hanging  from  the  high  tower  had  been  discovered, 
and  all  the  city  ran  to  see  this  incredible  thing. 

"When  Cardinal  Cornaro  reached  the  Vatican,  he  met 
Signor  Roberto  Pucci,  and  related  to  him  the  details  of  my 
escape,  and  the  fact  that  I  was  at  that  moment  hidden  in 
his  house.  The  two  then  went  together  to  throw  themselves 


38  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

at  the  feet  of  the  Pope ;  but  before  they  could  speak,  his 
Holiness  said  to  them,  'I  know  what  it  is  you  want  of  me.' 
'  Most  holy  father,'  said  Pucci,  '  we  beg  of  you,  for  pity's 
sake,  to  spare  this  poor  man.  His  talents  entitle  him  to 
some  consideration ;  and  he  has  just  shown  such  courage 
and  address  as  seem  above  humanity.  We  know  not  for 
what  offences  your  Holiness  has  had  him  put  in  prison,  but 
if  they  are  at  all  pardonable,  we  entreat  you  to  forget  them 
for  our  sake." 

"  The  Pope,  somewhat  ashamed,  replied  that  he  had  sent 
me  to  prison  because  I  was  too  presumptuous ;  '  But,'  he 
added,  '  his  merit  is  very  well  known,  and  we  wish  to  keep 
him  near  us,  to  which  end  we  will  place  him  beyond  the 
necessity  of  returning  to  France.  I  am  sorry  that  he  is  so  ill. 
Tell  him  to  make  haste  to  get  well,  and  say  that  we  will  then 
give  him  cause  to  forget  all  the  miseries  he  has  suffered.' 

"These  two  great  personages  duly  brought  me  these  good 
tidings  on  the  part  of  the  Pope." 

#  *  *  *  *  • 

The  governor  afterwards  visited  him,  and  asked  if  no  one 
had  aided  him  in  his  flight. 

Cellini  continues  :  "  When  he  went  back  to  the  Pope,  he 
gave  him  all  the  particulars  of  my  escape,  as  he  had  heard 
them  from  me,  to  the  astonishment  of  every  one  present. 
'  It  is  truly  something  prodigious,'  said  the  Pope.  '  Most 
holy  father,'  replied  my  old  enemy,  the  Signor  Peter  Louis 
Farnese,  '  he  will  do  many  other  things  equally  prodigious 
for  you,  if  you  set  him  at  liberty,  for  he  is  one  of  the  most 
audacious  of  men.  I  will  give  you  a  proof  of  it,  of  which 
perhaps  you  have  not  yet  heard.  Before  you  shut  him  up 
in  the  Castle  of  St.  Angelo,  this  same  Benvenuto,  having 
had  some  words  with  one  of  the  Cardinal  Santa  Fiore's 


BENVENUTO    CELLINI.       .•  39 

gentlemen,  threatened  to  strike  him ;  and  the  cardinal  hear- 
ing of  the  affair,  said  that  if  the  arch-fool  attempted  to  carry 
out  his  threat,  he  would  cure  him  once  for  all.  The  words 
were  repeated  to  Benvenuto,  and  the  cardinal's  palace  being 
in  front  of  his  studio,  he  took  his  musket  one  day  when  he 
saw  his  Eminence  at  the  window,  and  was  just  going  to  shoot 
him,  when  his  intended  victim  happened  to  be  warned  in 
time  and  withdrew.  He  can  put  a  ball  in  the  centre  of 
a  farthing  with  that  musket;  and  when  he  saw  that  the 
cardinal  had  escaped  him,  he  coolly  blew  off  the  head  of  a 
pigeon  perched  on  the  opposite  roof,  to  give  his  enemies  a 
proof  of  his  skill.  But  let  your  Holiness  do  what  you  please 
with  him ;  I,  at  least,  have  warned  you.  The  man  is  quite 
capable,  if  he  thought  himself  unjustly  treated,  of  firing 
upon  even  you.  He  has  a  character  of  the  utmost  ferocity, 
and  he  stops  at  nothing.  Remember,  he  ran  his  dagger 
twice  into  Pompeo's  throat,  although  the  poor  wretch  was 
in  the  midst  of  ten  men  appointed  expressly  to  guard  him. 
One  of  Santa  Fiore's  gentlemen  was  present,  and  confirmed 
what  the  Pope's  son  had  said. 

"The  Pope  was  still  under  the  unfortunate  impression 
produced  by  these  words  when,  two  days  after  the  above 
conversation,  Cardinal  Cornaro  came  to  ask  him  for  a 
bishopric  for  one  of  his  gentlemen,  Andrd  Centano'.  The 
Pope  had,  in  fact,  promised  him  the  bishopric ;  and,  as  one 
was  now  vacant,  the  cardinal  reminded  him  of  his  word. 
'It  is  true,'  said  his  Holiness,  'I  have  promised  you  a 
bishopric,  and  you  shall  have  one ;  but  I  have  one  favour 
to  ask  in  return — let  me  have  Benvenuto  again.'  '  Most 
holy  father,'  replied  the  cardinal,  'you  have  for  my  sake 
consented  to  his  pardon  and  his  liberty,  what  will  the  world 
say  of  both  of  us?'  'You  want  your  bishopric,'  replied 


40  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

the  Pope,  '  and  I  want  my  Benvenuto :  let  the  world  sa  r 
what  it  pleases.'  '  Give  me  my  bishopric,"  said  the  good 
cardinal,  '  and  for  the  rest  your  Holiness  yourself  shall  be 
the  judge  of  what  ought  to  be,  and  what  can  be  done.' 
'  I  will  send  for  Benvenuto,'  said  the  Pope,  somewhat 
ashamed  of  breaking  his  word,  '  and  I  will  put  him  in  one 
of  the  lower  apartments  of  my  private  garden,  where  he  will 
want  for  nothing  that  can  aid  his  recovery.  His  friends 
may  come  and  see  him,  and  I  will  bear  the  entire  cost  of 
his  living  myself.' 

"  The  cardinal  returned  to  his  apartments,  and  sent  to  tell 
me  through  Signor  Andre  that  the  Pope  wished  to  have  me 
once  more  in  his  power,  but  that  I  should  be  lodged  in  his 
private  garden,  and  should  be  free  to  see  any  one  I  pleased. 
I  implored  Andre  to  ask  the  cardinal  not  to  give  me  up, 
but  rather  to  let  me  have  myself  taken  at  once  to  a  safe 
place  I  knew  of  outside  Rome,  for  that  to  put  me  in  the 
power  of  the  Pope  would  be  to  send  me  to  death. 

"  The  cardinal  would,  I  believe,  have  aided  me  to  carry 
out  this  plan ;  but  Signor  Andre,  who  did  not  like  to  give 
up  his  bishopric,  caused  the  Pope  to  be  acquainted  with  the 
whole  affair,  and  I  was  immediately  ordered  into  custody." 

Cellini  was  well  treated  for  a  time  in  his  new  prison.  He 
was  afterwards  sent  to  Torre  di  Nova,  and  from  thence  he 
was  taken  back  again  to  the  Castle  of  St.  Angelo.  The  mad 
governor,  incensed  with  a  prisoner  who  had  dared  to  brave 
him,  threw  the  unfortunate  artist  into  a  subterranean  cell, 
which  only  admitted  the  sun's  rays  for  about  an  hour  and  a 
half  each  day.  He  remained  there  four  months,  with  no- 
thing to  occupy  his  time  but  the  reading  of  the  Bible  and 
the  Chronicles  of  Villani,  which  had  been  sent  to  him  by 
his  tormentor.  This  poor  maniac  felt  that  he  was  dying ; 


MARY,    QUEEN    OF    SCOTS.  41 

• 

and  attributing  his  death  to  Benvenuto,  he  sometimes 
redoubled  his  cruelty  towards  him,  though  at  others  he 
treated  him  with  greater  tenderness.  He  h'ad  him  removed 
from  his  first  dungeon  to  another  and  a  deeper  one,  parti- 
cularly famed  since  a  certain  preacher  named  Foiano  had 
died  there  of  starvation.  Meanwhile  Montluc,  the  ambas- 
sador of  France,  had  very  energetically  demanded  Cellini's 
liberty,  in  the  name  of  his  master,  Francis  L,  and  after  a  time, 
the  governor,  whose  reason  was  restored  a  few  days  before 
his  death,  also  urged  his  release.  *  At  length  Cardinal 
Ferrara,  on  his  arrival  from  France,  went  to  pay  his  respects 
to  the  Pope,  who  kept  him  to  dinner,  "Thinking,"  says 
Cellini,  "that  a  good  meal  loosens  the  tongue,  and  wishing 
to  hear  his  Eminence  talk  on  several  important  subjects." 
The  cardinal,  an  accomplished  diplomatist,  accepted  the 
invitation,  and  entertained  the  Pope  with  the  pleasures  and 
the  amusements  of  the  Court  of  France,  till  he  saw  that 
he  had  put  his  Holiness  into  an  excellent  humour,  when 
he  implored  him  in  the  name  of  the  King  to  pardon  Cellini. 
The  Pope  consented,  and  said  to  him  with  a  loud  burst 
of  laughter,  "  Take  him  away  at  once  with  you."  The 
necessary  orders  were  given,  and  without  so  much  as  waiting 
for  the  morrow,  the  cardinal  sent  immediately  for  Cellini, 
who  left  the  Castle  of  St.  Angelo,  never  to  return  to  it  again. 


MARY,  QUEEN  OF  SCOTS. 
1568. 

WHEN  the  confederate  Scotch  lords  had  taken  Mary  Stuart 
prisoner  after  her  defeat  at  Carberry  Hill,  and  had  resolved 
to  dethrone  her,  they  sen*»her  for  safe  custody  to  the  castle 


42  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

<s 

of  Loch  Leven,  situate  on  a  small  island  in  the  middle  of 
the  lake  of  that  name.  They  chose  this  gloomy  place,  not 
only  because  it  was  nearly  inaccessible,  but  because  the^ 
hapless  lady  would  there  be  in  the  keeping  of  that  most 
watchful  of  all  gaolers,  a  mortal  enemy.  Margaret  Erskine, 
mother  of  William  Douglas,  the  owner  of  the  castle,  had  had 
a  son  by  James  V.,  whom  it  pleased  her  to  regard  as  the 
legitimate  heir  to  the  throne  of  Scotland,  and  she  hated 
Mary  as  an  obstacle  to  her  schemes  of  ambition.  Religious 
differences  intensified  this  feeling,  for  Margaret  was  a  zealous 
Presbyterian.  In  short,  her  character,  her  faith,  her  family 
pride,  and  the  natural  harshness  of  her  temper,  all  conspired 
to  make  her  an  inexorable  guardian  of  the  unfortunate 
Queen. 

After  Mary  had  been  compelled  by  violence  to  renounce 
the  crown  in  favour  of  her  son,  she  was  placed  in  the  most 
rigorous  confinement,  the  strictest  watch  being  kept  over 
her  to  prevent  her,  not  only  from  effecting  her  escape,  but 
from  holding  any  sort  of  communication  with  the  outer 
world.  Many  of  the  sovereigns  of  Europe  were  well  dis- 
posed towards  her,  but  she  was  not  allowed  to  write  to  her 
friends,  though  she  sometimes  found  an  opportunity  of  doing 
so  while  the  daughters  of  Margaret,  who  shared  her  chamber, 
were  asleep,  or  at  their  meals.  The  cruelty  of  these  re- 
straints defeated  their  end,  for  it  touched  the  very  son  of 
her  gaoler,  George  Douglas,  with  compassion  for  the  captive 
Queen,  and  led  him  to  form  a  plan  for  her  escape.  But  his 
first  attempt  to  aid  her  was  unsuccessful.  It  was  arranged 
that  the  Queen  should  leave  the  castle  in  the  dress  of  the 
laundress  who  brought  her  linen  to  Loch  Leven,  and  that 
George  Douglas  and  a  number  of  his  partisans  should  be 
ready  to  receive  her  as  soon  as>she  had  crossed  the  lake. 


MARY,    QUEEN   OF   SCOTS.  43 

The  appointed  day  came ;  the  young  man  was  at  his  post, 
and  the  Queen,  thanks  to  her  disguise,  had  actually  got  clear 
of  the  castle,  and  reached  the  boat,  when  one  of  the  boat- 
men, struck  by  the  figure  of  the  pretended  laundress,  at- 
tempted to  lift  her  veil,  and  the  hasjy  gesture  with  which 
the  Queen  resisted  his  touch,  revealed  a  hand  too  white  and 
too  delicately  formed  to  be  that  of  a  hard-working  girl.  The 
man  at  once  guessed  her  real  rank,  but  even  at  that  moment 
Mary  did  not  lose  her  presence  of  mind.  She  declared  her 
name  and  title,  and  ordered  him,  on  pain  of  death,  to 
row  her  across  the  lake.  The  name  of  Margaret  Erskine 
had,  however,  greater  terror  for  the  fellow  than  that  of  Mary 
Stuart ;  and  the  Queen  was  taken  back  to  captivity  again. 

As  the  penalty  of  this  unfortunate  attempt  of  the  25th 
March,  George  Douglas  was  sent  away  from  the  island. 
This  did  not,  however,  make  him  one  whit  the  less  eager  to 
succeed  in  his  noble  design  ;  and  he  confided  the  Queen  to 
the  care  of  one  who  was  equally  devoted  to  her — his  brother, 
a  youth  of  fifteen  or  sixteen,  called  the  "  Little  Douglas," 
and  employed  as  page  to  his  mother. 

Mary  was,  of  course,  made  to  suffer  more  heavily,  and 
every  fresh  precaution  against  her  escape  took  the  form  of 
a  new  torture.  Her  life  became  almost  unendurable.  She 
wrote  to  Elizabeth,  to  Catherine  de'  Medicis,  and  to 
Charles  IX.,  supplicating  them  for  aid,  but  before  any  of 
them  could  move  in  her  favour  other  help  was  at  hand. 
George  Douglas  had  never  forgotten  his  promise  to  set  her 
free.  He  used  the  liberty  gained  by  his  banishment  from 
the  castle  in  extending  the  circle  of  her  friends.  He  en- 
gaged the  powerful  families  of  the  Seatons  and  the  Hamil- 
tons  in  her  cause,  and  with  their  aid  formed  a  more  carefully 
prepared  plan  than  the  last  for  her  escape.  It  was  ananged 


44  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

that  on  a  given  night  they  should  be  waiting  for  her  where 
he  had  formerly  waited.  The  page,  young  Douglas,  under- 
took the  rest.  Sunday,  the  2nd  May,  1568,  was  the  day 
fixed  for  the  execution  of  the  project.  The  whole  house- 
hold at  Loch  Leven  took  their  meals  in  a  common  hall;  and 
while  they  were  together  the  keys  of  the  fortress  were  placed 
on  the  table  by  the  governor's  side.  At  supper  time  on  the 
appointed  night  the  young  page  watched  his  opportunity; 
and  while  he  held  out  his  plate  to  be  filled,  he  contrived  to 
get  possession  of  the  keys  without  being  for  the  moment 
observed.  He  at  once  ran  to  Mary's  chamber  and  released 
her,  and  then  led  her  to  the  boat,  locking  every  door  behind 
him  on  his  way  to  diminish  the  chances  of  pursuit.  He  then 
threw  the  keys  into  the  lake,  and  took  the  oars,  after  hand- 
ing the  Queen  and  her  waiting-woman  into  their  seats,  and 
pulled  vigorously  for  the  shore.  Before  leaving  the  castle  he 
had  placed  a  signal  light  in  one  of  the  windows,  so  that  when 
the  Queen  stepped  from  the  boat  she  found  her  friends  wait- 
ing to  receive  her.  She  at  once  took  horse,  and  accompanied 
by  Lord  Seaton,  galloped  hard  for  that  nobleman's  house  at 
Niddry,  in  East  Lothian,  whence  after  a  few  hours'  repose 
she  made  her  way  to  the  more  strongly  fortified  castle  of  the 
Hamiltons.  She  was  received  there  by  the  Archbishop  of 
St.  Andrew's  and  Lord  Claude,  who  had  gone  out  to  meet 
her  with  fifty  horses.  The  news  of  this  escape,  according  to 
Scott,  spread  through  Scotland  with  the  rapidity  of  lightning, 
and  the  Queen  was  greeted  everywhere  with  enthusiasm. 
The  people  remembered  her  affability,  her  grace,  her  beauty, 
and  her  misfortunes;  and  if  they  remembered  her  errors  too, 
it  was  only  to  say  that  she  had  been  punished  for  them  too 
severely.  On  Sunday  Mary  had  been  a  sad  captive,  aban- 
doned to  her  enemies  in  a  solitary  tower ;  and  on  the  Satur- 


CAUMONT   DE    LA    FORCE.  45 

flay  following  she  found  herself  at  the  head  of  a  powerful 
confederation,  in  which  nine  counts,  eight  lords,  nine 
bishops,  and  a  great  number  of  gentlemen  of  the  highest 
rank  were  engaged  to  defend  her  and  to  restore  her  to  her 
throne.  But  this  ray  of  hope  only  illumined  her  sombre 
destiny  for  an  instant. 

The  keys  thrown  into  the  lake  by  the  page  were  found  by 
a  fisherman  in  1805,  and  are  now  placed  at  Kinross.  The 
place  where  the  fugitive  Queen  landed,  on  the  southern  shore 
of  the  lake,  is  still  called  Mary's  Knoll. 


CAUMONT  DE  LA  FORCE. 

1572. 

DURING  the  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew  the  murderers 
found  their  way  into  the  Rue  de  la  Seine,  where  lived 
Monsieur  de  la  Force  and  his  two  sons,  who  were  noted 
for  their  courageous  profession  of  the  condemned  doctrines. 
Monsieur  de  la  Force  was  strongly  urged  by  his  brother  to 
escape,  but  he  refused,  because  his  eldest  son,  who  had 
been  very  ill,  was  not  yet  able  to  travel,  and  he  would  not 
leave  him  behind.  He  had  barely  taken  his  heroic  reso- 
lution before  he  was  surrounded  and  made  prisoner  by  a 
band  of  zealots,  red-handed  from  the  work  of  death.  They 
threatened  him,  but  desisted  for  a  time  when  he  offered 
their  chief  two  thousand  crowns  of  ransom.  He  was  then 
led  away  with  his  two  sons  to  a  house  in  the  Rue  des  Petits- 
Champs,  and  left  there  in  the  custody  of  two  Swiss  soldiers, 
after  he  had  given  his  solemn  word  of  honour  that  he 
would  not  try  to  escape.  The  soldiers  felt  some  pity  for 
the  hapless  gentleman,  and  gave  him  to  understand  that 


4.6  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

they  would  not  stand  in  the  way  of  his  flight ;  but  he  was  a 
slave  to  his  word,  and  he  refused  either  to  move  himself  or  to 
allow  even  his  youngest  son  to  be  taken  to  a  place  of  safety. 

On  the  next  day,  according  to  the  Memoirs  of  La  Force, 
Count  Coconas,  with  a  party  of  fifty  soldiers,  came  to  the 
house  in  the  Rue  des  Petits-Champs,  and  told  Monsieur  de  la 
Force  that  he  had  come  to  fetch  him  by  order  of  Monsieur 
the  King's  brother.  There  was  a  purposed  vagueness  in  the 
words  which  did  not  escape  the  unhappy  gentleman's  notice, 
and  he  asked  where  he  was  to  be  taken,  at  the  same  time 
beginning  to  make  some  few  alterations  in  his  dress,  as  if 
he  thought  it  best  to  pretend  to  believe  what  he  had  heard. 
But  Coconas  spared  him  this  trouble,  and  at  the  same  time 
relieved  himself  of  the  irksomeness  of  concealment,  by 
tearing  hat  and  cloak  out  of  his  hands  before  he  could  put 
them  on.  Then  both  father  and  sons  knew  what  was  in- 
tended for  them,  and  began  to  prepare  their  minds  for 
death.  It  soon  became  evident  that  they  were  not  being 
conducted  to  the  apartments  of  Monsieur  in  the  Louvre ; 
but  when  De  la  Force  pointed  this  out  to  the  escort,  and 
complained  bitterly  of  the  breach  of  faith  towards  him  after 
his  offer  of  ransom  had  been  accepted,  they  answered  not  a 
word,  but  pushed  their  victims  on  towards  the  slaughter- 
house. 

The  father,  bareheaded  and  without  his  cloak,  walked 
first ;  the  sons,  in  the  same  half-naked  condition,  followed 
— the  elder,  who  could  scarcely  move,  but  to  whom  terror 
had  given  a  little  strength,  being  second ;  and  the  younger 
the  last  in  the  dismal  column.  In  this  way  they  were  taken 
the  entire  length  of  the  Rue  des  Petits-Champs,  until  they 
came  to  the  rampart,  when  the  officer  in  charge,  without 
a  word  of  warning,  called  out,  "  Kill !  kill ! "  and  in  an  in- 


CAUMONT  DE   LA   FORCE.  47 

stant,  a  circle  of  soldiers  was  formed  round  the  victims,  and 
the  daggers  were  at  work.  The  eldest  son  fell  first  with  the 
cry,  "  O  my  God,  I  am  dead ! "  The  father,  turning  in- 
stinctively to  help  him,  was  struck  as  he  was  bending  over 
the  body,  and  fell  across  him — his  shield  even  in  death. 
The  youngest  son,  by  nothing  less  than  a  miracle  of 
presence  of  mind,  repeated  his  brother's  cry  before  a 
single  dagger  had  reached  him,  and  fell  with  the  others, 
though  his  skin  was  not  so  m  ich  as  scratched.  But  his 
body  was  covered  all  over  with  the  blood  that  welled  from 
their  wounds,  and  the  assassins  stripped  him  almost  naked 
without  once  suspecting  that  he  had  not  received  a  mortal 
thrust.  When  they  had  treated  all  their  victims  in  this 
way,  they  left  their  naked  and  still  warm  bodies  with  the 
contemptuous  expression,  "  There  they  lie,  all  three." 

The  eldest  son  was  quite  dead  ;  his  diseased  frame  had 
probably  offered  no  resistance  to  the  shock  of  the  first  blow; 
the  father  was  mortally  wounded,  but  he  lay  a  long  while 
gasping  out  his  life,  while  the  frame  of  his  youngest  and 
unhurt  child,  who  had  nestled  close  to  him  the  better  to 
feign  death,  vibrated  to  every  shudder.  The  child  was,  of 
course,  quite  conscious,  and  perhaps  his  position  was  the 
more  pitiable  of  the  two,  for  he  lay  side  by  side  with  death, 
or  worse  than  death,  without  daring  to  stir  or  to  utter  a 
single  cry  of  horror,  lest  he  should  bring  the  ?  jassins  back. 
He  remained  in  this  sickening  companionship  till  about  four 
in  the  afternoon,  when  some  persons  crept  out  of  the  neigh- 
bouring houses  to  look  at  the  bodies  and  secure  what  few 
valuables  the  soldiers  had  left  behind.  One  of  these  ma- 
rauders, a  marker  at  tennis,  in  taking  off  the  stockings  of 
the  living  child,  turned  him  over  with  his  face  to  the  sky, 
with  the  exclamation,  "  Alas  !  poor  little  one,  what  harm  has 


48  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

he  done  ?"    "  I  am  not  dead,"  whispered  young  Caumont, 
raising  himself  gently  :  "  pray,  pray,  save  my  life  !  " 

"  Hush  !  "  said  the  man  ;  "  keep  quiet :  they  are  still 
there,"  and  pointing  to  a  group  of  the  murderers  who  were 
still  hovering  about  the  place,  he  went  away,  but  returned 
after  a  little  while,  when  the  coast  was  clear,  and  told  the 
child  to  get  up.  He  had  brought  a  tattered,  dirty  cloak 
with  him,  which  he  threw  over  Caumont's  naked  shoulders ; 
and  in  this  guise  of  poverty  and  wretchedness  he  drove  the 
child  before  him  through  the  streets,  pretending  that  he  was 
chastising  a  runaway  nephew  who  had  sold  his  clothes.  By 
this  ruse  he  contrived  to  pass  almost  unquestioned  through 
several  groups  both  of  citizens  and  of  soldiers,  and  to  lead 
the  boy  to  the  miserable  garret  in  which  he  and  his  family 
lived. 

Caumont  hid  himself  for  a  while  in  the  straw  of  the 
marker's  bed,  and  tried  to  get  a  little  sleep.  In  the  mean- 
time the  man  had  observed  that  he  wore  several  rings  of 
great  value  ;  and  he  asked  for  them  in  return  for  his  hospi- 
tality as  soon  as  the  child  awoke  Caumont  unhesitatingly 
drew  them  one  by  one  off  his  fingers  with  the  exception  of 
a  certain  diamond,  which  had  been  his  mother's  gift ;  and 
in  answer  to  a  question  by  the  marker's  wife,  he  told  her  why 
he  wished  to  keep  it  The  woman  angrily  replied  that  he 
ought  to  grudge  nothing  to  persons  who  had  shown  him  so 
much  kindness,  and  who  could  not  afford  to  be  out  of  pocket 
by  their  good  actions ;  and  the  child  knowing  how  much  he 
was  in  their  power,  reluctantly  yielded  up  the  coveted 
reward.  Sbe  then  gave  him  a  meal  of  very  unpalatable 
food,  and  her  husband  offered  to  guide  him  to  any  place 
of  safety  he  might  select.  The  child  at  first  chose  the 
Louvre,  where  his  sister,  Madame  de  Larchant,  was  near 


CAUMONT    DE   LA   FORCE.  49 

(he  person  of  the  Queen ;  but  the  man  positively  refused 
to  take  him  there  on  account  of  the  great  risk  of  his  being 
recognised  by  some  of  the  guards.  "  Take  me  to  the  arsenal 
then,"  said  young  De  Caumont,  "  to  the  house  of  Madame 
de  Brisambourg,  my  aunt."  "  Agreed,"  replied  the  tennis- 
marker  ;  "  it  is  a  long  way,  but  we  will  go  round  by  the 
ramparts,  and  perhaps  we  shall  be  so  lucky  as  not  to  meet  a 
single  person  on  the  road." 

Early  the  next  morning  little  Caumont,  once  more  dis- 
guised in  the  dirtiest  garments,  and  wearing  a  red  hat  bear- 
ing a  leaden  cross,  set  out  with  the  tennis-marker  for  the 
arsenal,  which  they  reached  without  any  noteworthy  incident 
At  the  outer  gate,  Caumont  told  his  guide  to  go  no  farther, 
but  to  wait  until  some  one  should  return  to  him  with  the 
dress  and  thirty  crowns.  The  child  at  the  same  time  stood 
ready  to  enter  the  arsenal,  but  he  could  not  summon  up 
courage  to  call  out  to  the  soldiers  to  open  the  gate.  At 
length,  however,  some  one  came  out,  and  he  passed  in  with- 
out having  to  submit  to  the  dreaded  scrutiny.  He  traversed 
the  first  court,  and  saw  several  people  whom  he  thought  he 
knew ;  but  he  was  so  effectually  concealed  in  his  rags  that 
none  of  them  had  a  moment's  suspicion  of  his  real  identity. 

In  the  massacre  in  which  Caumont  had  so  narrowly 
escaped  death,  a  page  named  La  Vigerie,  and  called  L'Au- 
vergnat,  to  distinguish  him  from  a  namesake,  had  met 
with  an  equally  miraculous  preservation.  He  was  with 
M.  de  la  Force  and  his  two  sons  in  the  house  in  the 
Rue  des  Petits-Champs  when  the  Count  de  Coconas  and 
his  party  arrived  ;  and  he  was  about  to  follow  his  master, 
when  one  of  the  Swiss  soldiers  said  to  him,  "  Look  out  for 
yourself;  they  are  going  to  be  killed."  He  accordingly 
stayed  behind  ;  and  as  soon  as  the  party  had  left  he  stole 

E 


50  WONDERFUL  ESCAPES. 

quietly  out  of  the  house,  and  followed  them  at  a  distance 
without  attracting  notice,  for  he  wore  the  livery  of  the 
Count  de  la  Marck,  one  of  the  chiefs  of  the  massacre.  He 
watched  the  assassins  at  their  bloody  work,  and  then  hurried 
away  to  Madame  de  Brisambourg  at  the  arsenal,  with  the 
news  of  her  brother-in-law's  death.  He  was  kindly  received, 
and  though  the  lady  was  well-nigh  overwhelmed  with  grief, 
she  took  ample  measures  to  provide  for  his  safety. 

The  young  De  la  Force  had  stood  for  some  time  trem- 
bling before  Madame  de  Brisambourg's  door,  when  it  was 
opened  from  within,  and  he  saw  this  page  standing  in  the 
entry.  He  called  out  to  him,  but  in  so  weak  a  voice  that 
he  was  not  heard,  and  the  door  was  closed  again.  But 
shortly  after  it  opened  a  second  time,  and  then  he  made 
himself  heard,  calling  out  two  or  three  times  in  the  energy 
of  his  misery  and  his  despair,  "  Auvergnat !  Auvergnat!" 
The  page  ran  out,  and  for  a  time  failed  to  recognise  his 
young  master  in  the  dirty  and  ill-dressed  little  boy  who 
began  to  appeal  to  him  for  protection.  "  Do  you  not  know 
me,  Auvergnat  ?  "  inquired  the  child,  looking  him  full  in  the 
face.  The  Auvergnat  returned  his  gaze,  and  when  at 
length  he  found  out  who  it  was,  his  astonishment  at  this 
return  to  life  of  one  slain,  as  he  thought,  before  his  very 
eyes  was  almost  ludicrous  to  witness.  He  at  once  seized 
Caumont  by  the  hand,  and  hurried  away  with  him  to  a 
gentleman  of  the  household,  by  whom  he  was  taken  to 
Madame  de  Brisambourg.  The  lady  fell  on  his  neck,  and 
for  some  time  could  not  speak  for  sobs. 

When  she  was  a  little  recovered  Caumont  told  her  his 
story,  and  her  first  care  was  to  have  his  dress  changed,  and 
to  send  back  the  bundle  of  dirty  clothes  with  the  promised 
reward  of  thirty  crowns  to  the  tennis-marker  at  the  out^1' 


CAUMONT   DE   LA   FORCE.  5 1 

gate.  She  then  had  him  put  to  bed  in  the  room  occupied 
by  her  waiting-women.  After  he  had  slept  a  little  he  got 
up,  and  dressing  himself,  by  his  aunt's  direction,  in  the 
livery  of  the  Marshal  de  Biron,  Grand  Master  of  the 
Artillery,  was  taken  to  see  that  nobleman,  and  allowed  to 
enter  his  service  as  a  page,  with  the  Auvergnat  for  a  play- 
fellow. 

He  had  not  been  more  than  two  days  in  the  marshal's 
apartments  when  word  was  brought  that  the  King  had  heard 
of  fugitives  being  concealed  there,  and  had  directed  that  the 
place  should  be  searched.  The  marshal  was  greatly  in- 
censed, and  he  ordered  four  pieces  of  cannon  to  be  pointed 
against  the  principal  gate  of  the  arsenal,  to  repel  any  attempt 
at  intrusion.  Whatever  truth  there  may  have  been  in  this 
particular  rumour,  the  Queen-mother  had  certainly  heard  of 
the  escape  and  concealment  of  young  De  la  Force  ;  for  a 
very  few  days  after  his  arrival  at  the  arsenal,  she  sent  a 
gentleman  to  the  marshal's  apartments,  at  the  instance  of  a 
certain  M.  de  Larchant,  to  demand  him.  While  this  mes- 
senger was  discharging  his  errand,  the  child  was  hurried 
away  into  the  room  of  the  marshal's  daughters,  and  con- 
cealed between  two  beds,  on  which  a  few  farthingales  were 
thrown  with  such  an  appearance  of  carelessness  that  no  one 
would  ever  have  thought  of  looking  for  a  fugitive  there. 
When  all  was  ready,  the  gentleman  was  invited  to  begin  his 
search,  and  he  passed  through  all  the  rooms  without  finding 
the  boy.  He  then  returned  to  the  Louvre,  with  the  tidings 
that  the  Queen  had  been  deceived  by  a  false  rumour,  greatly 
to  the  disgust  and  disappointment  of  M.  de  Larchant,  for 
it  was  this  person  in  effect  who  had  mainly  instigated  the 
Queen-mother  to  order  the  search.  He  was  actuated  by 
the  very  vilest  motives,  being  next  heir  after  the  three 

E  2 


IJ  2  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

De  la  Forces  to  a  very  considerable  property.  His  influence 
was  all-powerful  at  the  palace  ;  and  but  for  this  circum- 
stance it  is  more  than  probable  that  none  of  that  family 
would  have  been  marked  for  destruction  at  the  massacre. 

When  the  Queen's  gentleman  had  gone,  young  Caumont 
crept  out  from  between  the  beds  and  went  back  to  his  old 
place  of  concealment  in  the  marshal's  apartments.  But  it 
was  not  considered  prudent  to  let  him  remain  there,  and 
the  very  next  day,  M.  de  Born,  Lieutenant-general  of  the 
Artillery,  and  a  friend  of  his  aunt,  took  him  very  secretly 
to  his  own  lodgings,  where  they  breakfasted.  M.  de  Born 
then  told  him  that  he  was  to  enter  the  service  of  M.  Guillon, 
Controller  of  the  Artillery,  as  page,  and  that  when  asked  his 
name  he  was  to  say  he  was  son  of  M.  de  Beaupuy,  a  lieu- 
tenant under  the  Marshal  de  Biron.  He  at  the  same  time 
cautioned  him  particularly  against  leaving  the  house  when 
in  M.  Guillen's  service,  and  against  talking,  lest  he  should 
by  some  chance  word  betray  the  secret  of  his  identity.  The 
poor  child  promised  faithfully  to  observe  all  these  directions, 
and  was  led  away  to  the  controller's  house,  trotting  by  the 
side  of  his  new  protector,  who  was  on  horseback  because 
he  had  a  wooden  leg,  and  could  not  walk  without  pain. 

Arrived  at  the  house,  M.  de  Born  delivered  the  child 
over  to  the  controller,  in  a  speech  full  of  praises  of  his 
friend's  goodness  of  heart,  and  lamentations  about  the  dis- 
turbed state  of  the  country,  which  made  it  very  difficult  for 
persons  who  had  the  care  of  young  children  and  such  help- 
less folk  to  know  how  best  to  provide  for  their  security. 
M.  Guillon  listened,  and  readily  undertook  the  charge  of 
young  De  Beaupuy,  as  Caumont  was  called.  This  was  done 
simply  out  of  his  friendship  for  M.  de  Born,  for  the  two 
had  been  long  acquainted ;  and  the  fact  that,  notwithstand- 


CAUMONT   DE   LA    FORCE.  53 

ing  this  intimacy,  De  Born  did  not  think  fit  to  entrust  him 
with  the  whole  secret,  may  serve  to  show  in  what  extreme 
peril  the  young  fugitive  was  judged  to  be.  Guillon  guessed 
it,  nevertheless,  from  the  evident  anxiety  of  his  friend,  or  at 
least  he  had  a  pretty  shrewd  suspicion  that  he  had  not 
heard  all  the  truth. 

Caumont  had  been  some  seven  or  eight  days  with  the 
controller,  and  had  not  failed  to  do  everything  M.  de  Bora 
had  told  him.  His  master  came  home  every  day  to  dinner, 
and  it  was  the  new  page's  business  to  let  him  in ;  but  one 
day  opening  the  door  in  answer  to  a  knock  at  the  usual 
hour,  Caumont  was  surprised  to  see,  in  place  of  M.  Guillon, 
a  person  he  had  formerly  known.  He  hastily  shut  the  door 
in  great  terror ;  but  the  new  comer  only  knocked  more 
loudly  than  before,  and  called  out  that  he  had  a  very  urgent 
message  to  deliver  from  Madame  de  Brisambourg.  When 
he  had  thus  gained  admittance,  he  told  the  child  that 
Madame  de  Brisambourg  had  sent  him  to  say  that  she  was 
in  great  trouble  about  her  nephew,  and  wished  to  have  news 
of  him.  This  said  he  went  away,  and  the  terrified  boy  still 
suspecting  him,  jumped  on  horseback  immediately,  and  rode 
to  M.  de  Born  to  tell  him  what  had  happened.  M.  de  Born 
took  him  to  Madame  de  Brisambourg  for  an  explanation, 
but  the  lady  was  equally  astonished  with  himself,  and  said 
that  no  messenger  had  been  sent  by  her. 

The  peril  was  immediate,  and  a  council  of  the  child's 
friends  was  held  without  delay.  It  was  seen  that  in  the 
neighbourhood  in  which  he  then  was,  the  safety  of  the  little 
fugitive  could  no  longer  be  reckoned  on,  and  it  was  re- 
solved to  dispatch  him  into  a  distant  part  of  the  country. 
The  marshal  was  accordingly  prevailed  on  to  apply  to  the 
King  for  a  passport  for  his  house-steward,  whom  he  was 


54  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

sending  with  a  page  to  Guyenne,  to  look  after  his  affairs 
in  that  province.  The  request  was  granted  ;  a  trusty  gen- 
tleman of  the  marshal's  personated  the  house-steward,  and 
the  page  was,  of  course,  no  other  than  the  poor  hunted 
child.  They  set  out,  and  thanks  to  M.  de  Born,  passed 
safely  through  the  gates  of  Paris;  but  when  they  were  about 
a  two  days'  journey  from  the  capital,  the  child  was  horrified 
at  the  sight  of  a  fellow  wearing  his  father's  dressing-gown, 
whom  he  recognised  as  one  of  the  executioners  of  the  Rue 
des  Petits-Champs.  The  wretch  was  boasting  of  his  exploits, 
but  some  chance  words  dropped  by  him  acquainted  Cau- 
mont  with  the  fact  that  his  uncle,  with  about  a  hundred  of 
his  gentlemen,  had  escaped  the  massacre.  Farther  on  their 
guide  put  them  all  in  great  peril  by  his  imprudence,  in 
publicly  condemning  the  massacre  in  a  little  inn  in  which 
they  stayed.  At  length,  after  having  escaped  many  dangers, 
they  arrived  on  the  eighth  day  of  their  journey  at  the  chateau 
of  Castelnaut-des-Mirandes,  in  Guyenne,  where  the  child 
was  received  in  the  arms  of  his  uncle,  with  every  demon- 
stration of  gratitude  and  joy,  and  where  he  found  plenty, 
peace,  and  security  awaiting  him  after  all  his  troubles. 
(Memoirs  of  Caumont  de  la  Force.) 


CHARLES  DE  GUISE. 

1591. 

CHARLES  DE  GUISE,  eldest  s*on  of  Henry  de  Guise,  who 
was  assassinated  at  Blois,  was  arrested  at  the  death  of  his 
father,  in  1588,  and  confined  in  the  chateau  of  Tours.  He 
remained  there  three  years  (till  1591)  before  he  could  make 
his  escape. 


CHARLES   DE   GUISE.  55 

"  The  duke,"  says  the  president  De  Thou,  "  had  taken 
counsel  with  Claude  de  la  Chastre  and  his  son,  and  had 
resolved  to  make  an  effort  for  liberty  on  August  i5th,  the 
fete  of  the  Virgin.  He  took  the  communion  on  that  day, 
in  order  to  deceive  his  guards  and  to  remove  all  suspicion 
of  his  intention  from  their  minds.  He  had  remarked  that 
it  was  their  custom  to  close  the  doors  after  dinner,  and  to 
take  the  keys  to  the  sheriff.  On  August  i5th,  accordingly, 
when  the  men  were  seated  at  their  meal  in  the  large  hall, 
he  quietly  locked  them  in,  and  ran  with  great  speed  to  the 
top  of  a  high  tower  which  lay  nearest  to  the  bridge  beyond 
the  city,  first  taking  care  to  bolt  the  door  behind  him. 

"  Everything  succeeded  according  to  his  wish.  His  trusty 
valet,  who  aided  him  on  the  occasion,  was  waiting  for  him 
at  the  top  of  the  tower,  holding  a  cord  in  his  hand,  with  a 
piece  of  wood  tied  transversely  to  the  end  of  it,  to  form  a 
seat  for  the  duke  and  facilitate  his  descent.  When  all  was 
ready  the  valet  let  the  cord  go  gently,  and  his  master 
reached  the  ground  in  safety.  The  man  then  fastened  the 
rope  firmly  to  a  stake,  and  at  greater  peril  followed  the 
duke,  who  had  already  hurried  away  along  the  course  of  the 
river,  and  whom  he  did  not  overtake  till  he  reached  Saint- 
Come. 

"  The  guards  were  in  great  consternation.  Rouvray,  the 
Governor  of  Tours,  sent  the  news  of  the  escape  in  all 
directions,  with  orders  to  the  neighbouring  population  to 
take  up  arms  and  put  themselves  on  the  track  of  the 
fugitives.  He  had  previously  broken  open  the  door  of  the 
tower :  but  the  men  employed  in  the  work,  finding  no 
traces  of  their  former  prisoner,  joined  their  companions, 
who  were  running  wildly  about  the  city.  A  great  deal  of 
time  was  wasted  in  the  search  for  the  keys  of  the  bridge 


56  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

gate  and  the  various  doors  of  the  chateau,  for  all  the  doors 
were  opened  at  hazard,  as  it  was  not  known  what  direction 
the  fugitives  had  taken." 

"  As  soon  as  the  duke  reached  the  ground,"  says  Davila, 
'he  took  the  road  into  the  country  by  the  Loire,  and  soon 
found  two  men  holding  a  horse  ready  for  him  to  mount. 
Galloping  hard,  he  presently  joined  the  Baron  de  Maison, 
son  of  the  Lord  de  la  Chastre,  who,  with  three  hundred 
horsemen,  attended  him  beyond  the  Cher,  and  who  sent  the 
escort  on  with  him  to  Bourges,  where  he  not  only  found 
safety  but  was  received  with  every  demonstration  of  joy." 
(Ludovic  Lalanne :  Curiosities  of  Biography. 


MARY  DE  M EDICTS. 

1619. 

MARY  DE'  MEDICIS,  after  the  assassination  of  her  favourite, 
Concini,  seeing  herself  shut  out  from  all  participation  in 
affairs  by  the  intrigues  of  Luynes,  asked  for  and  obtained 
permission  to  retire  to  Blois  (May,  1617),  where  she  soon 
became  a  prisoner.  Luynes  surrounded  her  with  spies, 
and  placed  two  companies  of  cavalry  in  the  neighbouring 
villages,  with  orders  to  watch  her  slightest  movements. 
But  the  Duke  d'Epernon  and  other  malcontent  lords,  who 
had  retired  from  the  court,  wishing  to  give  more  importance 
to  their  party,  sought  to  deliver  the  Queen-mother  and  to 
place  her  at  their  head. 

M.  d'Epernon  was  chiefly  urged  on  to  this  enterprise  by 
a  devoted  adherent  of  the  Queen-mother,  named  De  Ruc- 
cellai,  who  had  no  other  thought  than  how  to  serve  his 
mistress,  and  no  other  inspiration  than  a  passionate  desire 


MARY   DE'  MEDICIS.  57 

to  see  her  at  liberty.  After  long  meditation  over  various 
plans,  Ruccellai  thought  that  no  person  could  be  made  so 
useful  to  him  as  M.  de  Bouillon,  on  account  both  of  that 
nobleman's  reputation  among  all  classes  of  his  countrymen, 
particularly  among  the  Huguenots,  and  of  the  security 
which  was  afforded  by  his  retreat  at  Sedan.  He  accordingly 
made  a  secret  journey  to  Blois,  and  obtained  the  Queen- 
mother's  permission  to  speak  to  M.  de  Bouillon,  and  to 
promise  him  whatever  might  be  necessary,  in  her  name. 
He  then  sought  out  M.  de  Bouillon,  but  at  very  great  peril, 
for  he  was  obliged  to  travel  by  night  and  alone,  for  fear  of 
being  discovered.  M.  de  Bouillon,  however,  excused  him- 
self from  all  participation  in  the  design  on  account  of  his 
age,  his  infirmities,  and  his  good  understanding  with  the 
King,  which  he  was  unwilling  to  risk,  as  he  had  no  other 
wish  than  to  enjoy  the  benefits  of  that  mercy  which  had 
been  extended  to  him  after  the  death  of  Marshal  d'Ancre, 
and  to  end  his  days  in  peace.  He,  however,  referred  the 
Queen-mother's  messenger  to  M.  d'Epernon,  who,  being 
extremely  ill-satisfied  with  De  Luynes,  and  having,  besides, 
a  number  of  large  establishments  in  the  kingdom,  would 
be  likely  to  prove  far  more  serviceable  in  the  cause  than 
himself. 

Ruccellai,  having  written  to  the  Queen-mother  and  obtained 
her  consent  to  this  change  of  plan,  laid  his  proposals 
before  M.  d'Epernon.  The  latter  at  first  received  them 
with  some  suspicion,  but  he  was  finally  won  over.  At 
the  end  of  a  secret  conference  at  his  house,  which  lasted 
several  days,  he  authorised  Ruccellai  to  tell  the  Queen  that 
if  she  could  once  contrive  to  escape  from  the  chateau,  and 
to  pass  the  bridge  on  the  Loire,  he  would  await  her  arrival 
on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  with  such  an  escort  as  would 


58  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

conduct  her  safely,  in  spite  of  every  obstacle,  to  Angouleme, 
or  any  other  part  of  the  kingdom  to  which  she  might  choose 
to  go.  The  Queen  replied  that  nothing  would  be  more 
easy ;  and  Ruccellai  pressed  D'Epernon  to  hasten  the  execu- 
tion of  his  part  of  the  plan ;  but  the  latter  insisted  on  putting 
off  the  enterprise  till  the  February  of  the  following  year. 

De  Luynes,  ever  suspicious,  and  wishing  to  discover  the 
real  feelings  of  the  Queen,  sent  one  of  his  creatures  to  her, 
to  say  that  the  King  was  shortly  going  to  Blois,  and  that  he 
would  fetch  her  away  with  him  The  envoy  also  made  re- 
peated protestations  of  service  on  the  part  of  De  Luynes, 
and  assured  the  Queen  that  she  would  in  future  be  treated 
exactly  in  accordance  with  her  own  desires  ;  but  he  never 
failed/  while  proffering  these  services,  to  narrowly  watch  the 
countenances  of  the  Queen  and  all  who  approached  her,  to 
gather  what  he  could  of  their  real  feelings.  But  not  one  of 
the  Queen's  people  was  yet  aware  of  her  design ;  and  as  she 
had  already  sworn  without  scruple,  so  she  did  not  hesitate  to 
swear  again,.,  and  that  so  well,  that  the  agent  of  De  Luynes 
went  back  firmly  persuaded  that  she  was  impatient  for  the 
coming  of  the  King,  and  was  perfectly  ready  to  be  on  good 
terms  with  his  master  and  forget  everything. 

D'Epernon,  having  completed  his  measures,  went  to  Con- 
folens,  where  the  Archbishop  of  Toulouse  was  waiting  for 
him,  with  two  hundred  of  his  friends  ;  but  he  did  not  find 
the  expected  news  of  the  Queen-mother.  He  had,  however, 
gone  too  far  to  recede ;  and  he  at  once  sent  M.  du  Plessis 
to  the  Queen,  to  warn  her  of  his  arrival  and  to  learn  her 
wishes.  When  M.  du  Plessis  had  delivered  his  message, 
the  Queen  decided  on  setting  out  that  same  night. 

She  then  for  the  first  time  took  others  into  her  confidence, 
and  broke  the  matter  to  the  Count  de  Brennes,  her  master 


MARY   DE*  MEDICIS.  59 

of  the  horse,  to  M.  de  Mergay,  and  another  officer  of  her 
body  guard,  and  to  the  Signora  Caterine,  her  woman  of  the 
bedchamber.  She  ordered  the  Count  de  Brennes  to  be  at 
the  door  of  her  room  at  five  the  next  morning,  and  to  see 
that  her  travelling  chariot  with  six  horses  was  at  the  same 
time  beyond  the  bridge.  The  others  she  kept  with  her  all 
night,  to  pack  up  her  jewels  and  wearing  apparel. 

With  these  three  gentlemen  then,  and  a  single  woman  of 
the  bedchamber,  she  left  the  place  on  the  22nd  of  February, 
at  six  in  the  morning,  by  the  window  of  a  room  looking  out 
upon  the  terrace,  from  which,  owing  to  a  broken  wall,  it  was 
easy  to  reach  the  ground  without  passing  by  the  door  oi 
the  chateau.  After  the  Queen  had  let  herself  glide  down 
this  ruin,  and  had  regained  her  feet,  she  made  her  way  to 
the  bridge,  where  she  met  two  men,  one  of  whom,  seeing 
her  almost  alone  at  that  early  hour,  passed  a  very  unchari- 
table judgment  upon  her.  The  other,  however,  recognised 
her,  guessed  her  purpose,  and  wished  her  "  God  speed." 

On  the  other  side  of  the  bridge  she  found  her  carriage, 
and  entering  it,  with  her  attendants  she  went  to  Montrichard, 
where  she  came  up  with  one  of  her  gentlemen,  who  had 
preceded  her  to  make  sure  of  the  passage  of  the  Cher. 
She  remained  there  two  days,  during  which  time  she  wrote 
to  the  King,  and  then  she  set  out  for  Angouleme. 

After  long  conferences  and  innumerable  intrigues,  in 
which  De  Luynes  and  Richelieu,  then  Bishop  of  Lugon, 
displayed  all  their  ability,  Mary  de'  Medicis,  seeing  all  her 
partisans  abandoning  her  interests  in  their  anxiety  to  carry 
on  a  quarrel  among  themselves,  left  Angouleme  for  Tours, 
where  Louis  XIII.  and  Anne  of  Austria  were  waiting  for 
her.  They  received  her  at  about  two  leagues  from  the  city, 
and  lavished  upon  her  the  most  affectionate  caresses.  She 


60  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

passed  seven  or  eight  days  with  them,  and  then  withdrew 
for  a  time  to  Chinon,  until  the  preparations  were  completed 
for  her  grand  entry  into  Angers. — {Memoirs  of  Fontenay- 
Mareuil.) 


GROTIUS. 
1621. 

GROTIUS  was  involved  in  the  ruin  of  Bameveldt,  for  whom 
he  had  a  very  great  admiration,  and  whose  partisan  he  had 
been ;  and  was  sentenced  to  perpetual  imprisonment,  and 
the  confiscation  of  all  his  property.  He  was  confined  in 
the  castle  of  Louvenstein,  near  Gorcum.  This  was  in  1619, 
when  he  was  in  his  thirty-sixth  year.  He  was  very  closely 
guarded,  and  the  only  consolation  he  enjoyed  was  that  of 
the  company  of  his  wife,  Marie  de  Reygesberg,  who  had 
obtained  permission  to  visit  him.  The  boon  was  accom- 
panied by  this  cruel  condition,  that  if  she  left  the  prison 
she  would  not  be  allowed  to  return  to  it.  After  a  time, 
however,  the  severity  of  this  rule  was  slightly  relaxed,  and 
she  was  allowed  to  leave  the  place  twice  a  week. 

Groiius  had  been  some  eighteen  months  at  Louvenstein, 
when  Muys  van  Holi,  one  of  his  declared  enemies,  who 
had  also  been  one  of  his  judges,  warned  the  States-General 
that  he  had  received  certain  information  of  the  prisoner's 
intention  to  escape.  An  agent  was  at  once  sent  to  the 
castle,  to  examine  into  the  truth  of  the  report,  but  he  re 
turned  without  having  been  able  to  find  anything  in  con- 
firmation of  it.  It  was,  however,  so  far  true,  that  Marie 
de  Reygesberg  was  constantly  occupied  with  a  design  for 
effecting  her  husband's  liberation. 


GROTIUS.  6 1 

The  prisoner  had  been  allowed  to  borrow  books  of  his 
friends,  and  when  he  had  read  them  they  were  sent  away 
in  a  large  trunk,  together  with  his  linen,  which  was  washed 
at  Gorcum.  During  the  first  year  the  guards  had  never 
once  failed  to  make  a  close  search  of  this  trunk  whenever 
it  was  sent  out  of  the  prison ;  but  tired  at  length  of  turning 
over  nothing  but  dirty  linen  and  books,  they  used  to  allow 
it  to  pass  without  examination.  Their  negligence  did  not 
escape  the  notice  of  the  prisoner's  wife,  and  it  occurred  to 
her  that  she  might  take  advantage  of  it.  She  discussed  her 
plans  with  her  husband,  and  persuaded  him  to  let  himself 
be  shut  up  in  the  trunk,  first  taking  care  to  bore  several 
small  holes  in  it  at  either  end  for  the  admission  of  air. 
When  all  was  ready,  the  intended  escape  was  rehearsed. 
The  prisoner  was  shut  up  in  the  trunk  during  the  time 
usually  occupied  by  the  journey  to  Gorcum,  and  this  ex- 
periment was  repeated  several  times,  until  he  had  grown 
tolerably  accustomed  to  all  the  inconveniences  of  the  situa- 
tion. The  adventurous  pair  then  awaited  nothing  but  a 
favourable  moment  for  carrying  out  their  design. 

This  soon  came :  the  commandant  of  the  fortress  left 
the  place  for  a  short  time  on  business  ;  and  before  his 
departure  the  brave  wife  sought  an  interview  with  him,  and 
obtained  his  permission  to  send  away  the  trunk  full  of 
books,  alleging  as  a  reason  that  her  husband  being  very 
weak,  she  wished  to  place  the  temptation  to  study  beyond 
his  reach.  On  leaving  the  commandant  she  immediately 
returned  to. the  apartment  occupied  by  Grotius,  and  shut 
him  up  in  the  trunk.  His  valet  and  a  female  servant  were 
in  the  secret,  and  she  caused  them  to  spread  the  report  of 
her  husband's  illness  among  the  soldiers,  so  that  his  tem- 
porary absence  from  his  accustomed  place  of  resort  within 


62  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

the  castle  might  occasion  no  surprise.  Two  soldiers  were 
then  brought  in  to  carry  the  trunk,  and  one  of  them  finding 
it  very  heavy,  observed :  "  There  must  be  an  Arminian 
inside,"  in  allusion  to  the  sect,  flourishing  at  this  epoch,  to 
which  Grotius  belonged.  The  wife  replied  calmly,  "  In 
truth  there  are  some  Arminian  books."  The  chest  was 
then  lowered  to  the  ground  by  means  of  a  ladder,  though 
not  without  great  difficulty.  The  soldier  who  had  found  it 
too  heavy  was  by  no  means  satisfied  with  the  explanation 
he  had  received ;  and  he  insisted  that  the  trunk  should  be 
opened,  in  order  that  he  might  see  what  it  really  contained. 
He  even  went  so  far  as  to  communicate  his  suspicions  to 
the  wife  of  the  commandant,  but  the  lady,  either  through 
negligence,  or  with  the  deliberate  intention  of  refusing  to 
notice  what  she  had  no  desire  to  see,  declined  to  listen  to 
him.  She  replied,  that  the  trunk  contained  nothing  but 
books,  as  the  wife  of  Grotius  had  assured  her,  and  that  it 
might  be  taken  to  the  boat.  This  was  done,  and  the  female 
servant  was  allowed  to  take  charge  of  it  and  to  convey  it  to 
a  certain  house  in  Gorcum,  as  she  had  been  ordered  to  do. 
She  steadily  refused,  on  its  arrival  at  the  landing-place,  to 
have  it  placed  on  a  sledge  along  with  the  rest  of  the  luggage, 
on  the  ground  that  it  was  full  of  very  fragile  articles,  which 
might  easily  be  damaged.  It  was  accordingly  lifted  into  a 
hand  barrow,  and  wheeled  to  the  house  of  David  Dazelaer, 
a  friend  of  Grotius,  and  a  relation  of  Marie  de  Reygesberg. 
When  the  woman  found  herself  alone  with  her  charge,  she 
lifted  the  lid  of  the  chest,  and  her  master  leaped  out  safe 
and  sound,  though  he  had  suffered  somewhat  from  his  long 
confinement  in  a  space  three  feet  and  a  half  in  length.  He 
at  once  assumed  the  dress  of  a  mason ;  and  taking  a  rule 
and  trowel  in  his  hand,  he  left  the  house  by  a  back  door, 


She  lifted  the  lid  of  the  chest,  and  her  master  leaped  out  safe 
and  sound. 


ISAAC   ARNAULD.  63 

and  made  his  way  across  the  square  of  Gorcum  to  a  gate  of 
the  city  leading  to  the  river.  Here  he  again  took  boat  and 
went  to  Valvic,  in  Brabant,  whence,  after  making  himself 
known  to  some  Arminian  friends,  he  set  out  by  coach  for 
Anvers,  using  great  precautions  on  the  way  to  prevent  dis- 
covery. 

Meanwhile,  the  report  of  his  illness  was  still  current  at 
Louvenstein ;  and  his  wife,  in  order  to  gain  time  for  him, 
assured  every  one  that  he  was  in  great  danger.  As  soon, 
however,  as  she  learned,  by  the  return  of  the  servant,  that 
he  had  reached  Brabant,  and  was,  consequently,  in  safety, 
she  boldly  told  the  guards  that  their  bird  had  flown.  The 
commandant,  who  had  just  returned,  ran  at  once  to  the 
prisoner's  apartment  and  ordered  the  courageous  woman  to 
say  where  her  husband  was  hidden.  She  suffered  him  to 
spend  some  time  in  a  fruitless  search,  and  then  informed 
him  of  the  stratagem  by  which  he  had  been  duped.  She 
was  at  once  imprisoned,  more  rigorously  than  ever  Grotius 
had  been  ;  but  she  petitioned  the  States-General,  and  in  a 
few  days  was  permitted  to  rejoin  the  husband  for  whose 
liberty  she  had  risked  so  much. 


ISAAC  ARNAULD. 
1635- 

DURING  the  winter  of  1635,  Isaac  Arnauld  was  governor  of 
Philipsburg — a  place  well  fortified  by  earthworks  and  a  large 
ditch  (the  water  of  which  was  constantly  frozen),  but  very 
insufficiently  garrisoned.  "  The  Imperialists,  who  were  well 
informed  of  everything,"  says  the  Abbe  Arnauld,  in  his 
"  Memoirs,"  "  had  little  difficulty  in  forming  their  plan  of 


64  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

attack  and  putting  it  into  execution,  When  they  entered 
the  place  they  found  the  garrison  under  arms,  but  too  weak 
to  sustain  a  general  assault.  All  the  courage  and  conduct 
of  the  governor  availed  hint  nothing  but  to  make  a  desperate 
defence  and  to  sell  his  liberty  dearly,  after  nearly  all  the 
garrison  had  been  put  to  the  sword.  He  was  obliged  to 
surrender,  with  a  few  companions  who  survived  the  slaughter; 
and  after  having  been  imprisoned  in  several  places,  was  at 
length  taken  to  Esslingen. 

To  add  to  the  miseries  of  his  situation,  he  was  doomed  to 
hear  that  he  was  openly  accused,  at  the  Court  of  France,  of 
having  lost  Philipsburg  by  his  negligence.  From  that 
moment  he  had  but  one  thought — namely,  how  he  could 
escape  and  clear  his  character  before  his  sovereign ;  and 
vrith  this  view  he  steadily  refused  to  become  a  prisoner  on 
parole.  His  design  was  not  easy  of  execution,  for  he  was 
constantly  guarded  by  soldiers,  who  accompanied  him,  even 
in  his  walks  in  the  grounds  of  the  fortress,  and  slept  outside 
the  door  of  his  room  at  night.  These  difficulties,  however, 
served  only  to  give  a  stimulus  to  his  invention.  He  care- 
fully measured  with  his  eye  the  exact  height  of  his  window 
which  opened  on  the  ditch  of  the  fortress,  and  he  became 
convinced  that  he  had  only  to  make  the  descent  in  safety 
to  gain  his  liberty.  He  began  by  gaining  the  connivance 
of  some  French  cavalry  soldiers  who  were  in  the  service 
of  the  Emperor,  with  the  promise  of  giving  them  employ- 
ment in  his  own  regiment  of  carabineers,  on  his  return  to 
France  ;  and  he  afterwards  kept  his  word.  The  great  and 
almost  the  only  difficulty  was  to  find  rope  for  the  descent, 
for  there  was  but  little  to  fear  from  the  watchfulness  of  the 
garrison,  the  ditch  beneath  his  window  being  very  poorly 
guarded.  To  that  end  he  always  urged  his  confederates,  when 


THE   DUKE   OF   BEAUFORT.  65 

he  was  taking  exercise,  to  pretend  to  be  amusing  themselves 
with  various  games,  which  they  were  always  the  more  ready 
to  do  as  he  never  failed  to  encourage  them  with  liberal  sup- . 
plies  of  drink.  After  a  short  time,  indeed,  they  proposed 
the  games  themselves,  and  seemed  to  take  a  real  pleasure 
in  them.  One  of  these  games,  called  Girding  the  Ass,  was 
peculiarly  favourable  to  his  design,  for  it  involved  the  use 
of  a  cord  for  binding  the  principal  player.  Arnauld  always 
found  a  piece  of  silver  for  the  purchase  of  this  cord,  and  never 
asked  for  the  change.  When  the  game  was  over,  the  cord, 
being  too  small  to  seem  worth  keeping,  used  to  be  thrown 
away,  and  those  who  were  in  the  prisoner's  interest  took  care 
to  pick  it  up  and  give  it  him  without  attracting  attention. 
When  he  had  as  many  pieces  as  he  judged  necessary  for 
his  purpose,  he  put  his  scheme  into  execution,  and  escaped 
with  the  soldiers  who  had  helped  him ;  and  he  used  such 
diligence  that  his  friends  first  received  the  news  of  his 
liberty  from  his  own  lips. 

On  his  arrival  at  Paris  he  constituted  himself,  by  his  own 
act,  a  prisoner  in  the  Bastille,  and-  demanded  a  full  inquiry 
into  the  allegations  against  him.  He  remained  there  several 
months,  until  he  had  cleared  his  character,  and  he  then 
consented  to  be  set  free.  (Memoirs  of  the  Abbe  Arnauld.} 


THE  DUKE  OF  BEAUFORT. 
1648. 

THE  Duke  of  Beaufort,  one  of  the  chiefs  of  the  party  of  the 
Fronde,  was  accused  of  having  tried  to  assassinate  Cardinal 
Mazarin,  and  was  arrested  at  the  Louvre,  by  order  of  Anne 
of  Austria,  and  imprisoned  in  the  tower  of  Vincennes.  He 

F 


66  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

remained  there  five  years,  but  at  length  made  his  escape  by 
the  aid  of  his  friends.  The  story  is  best  told  in  the  words 
of  Madame  de  Motteville  : — 

"On  the  Day  of  Pentecost,  the  ist  of  June,  1648,  the 
Duke  of  Beaufort,  who  had  been  confined  for  five  years  at 
Vincennes,  escaped  from  his  prison  at  about  twelve  at  noon. 
He  found  means  to  break  his  fetters,  through  the  skill  of  his 
friends  and  of  some  of  his  own  people,  who  served  him 
faithfully  on  this  occasion.  He  was  closely  watched  by  an 
officer  of  the  body-guard,  and  by  seven  or  eight  soldiers, 
who  slept  in  his  room  and  had  orders  never  to  lose  sight  of 
him.  He  was  waited  on,  besides,  by  the  King's  own  ser- 
vants, and  was  not  allowed  to  have  one  of  his  own  men 
near  him ;  and,  moreover,  Chavigny,  the  Governor  of  Vin- 
cennes, was  unfriendly  to  him.  The  officer  in  charge  of 
him,  La  Ramee,  yielding  to  the  request  of  some  companions, 
had  secretly  given  an  asylum  in  the  prison  to  a  certain 
person,  who  alleged  that  he  had  fought  a  duel  and  that  he 
wished  to  escape  the  penalty  of  his  offence.  There  is  some 
reason,  however,  to  believe  that  he  had  been  taken  to  Vin- 
cennes by  the  creatures  of  Beaufort,  and  probably  with  the 
knowledge  of  the  officer ;  but  I  cannot  speak  positively  as 
to  this  circumstance,  and  I  am  unwilling  to  deceive  myself 
by  mere  appearances. 

"  At  first  this  man,  willing  to  make  himself  useful,  dis- 
played more  zeal  than  any  one  else  in  his  self-imposed  ser- 
vice of  watching  the  prisoner,  and  even  did  not  shrink 
from  rudeness,  as  the  Queen  was  informed  when  this  story 
was  told  to  her.  But  whether  he  was  at  first  there  for 
the  Duke  of  Beaufort,  or  against  him,  he  presently  allowed 
himself  to  be  gained  over  by  that  prince,  and  he  became 
useful  to  him  by  communicating  with  his  friends,  and  in- 


THE   DUKE   OF   BEAUFORT.  67 

forming  him  of  the  schemes  that  were  on  foot  for  his  release. 
When  the  time  was  ripe  for  the  execution  of  their  designs, 
the  confederates  expressly  chose  the  Day  of  Pentecost, 
because  every  one  was  engaged  in  Divine  service  during 
that  solemn  fete.  While  the  guards  were  at  dinner,  the 
Duke  of  Beaufort  asked  La  Ramee  to  allow  him  to  take  a 
walk  in  a  gallery,  to  which  he  had  sometimes  been  per- 
mitted to  have  access.  This  gallery,  although  lower  than 
the  donjon  in  which  the  duke  was  confined,  was,  neverthe- 
less, at  a'  great  height  from  the  ditch,  on  which  it  looked. 
La  Ramee  followed  his  prisoner  in  his  walk,  and  remained 
alone  with  him  in  the  gallery.  Meanwhile,  the  man  whom 
the  duke  had  gained  had  gone  to  dinner  with  the  others, 
but,  after  taking  a  little  wine,  he  feigned  illness  and  left  the 
table,  as  though  to  seek  the  fresh  air  of  the  gallery,  taking 
care,  on  his  way,  to  fasten  several  doors  that  were  between 
his  companions  and  their  prisoner.  As  soon  as  he  had 
joined  the  duke,  the  two  threw  themselves  upon  La  Rame'e 
so  suddenly  that  he  had  not  time  to  cry  out  He  was 
easily  overpowered,  for  the  duke  alone  was  a  very  strong 
man.  They  were  unwilling  to  take  his  life,  though  prudence 
might  have  dictated  that  course ;  but  they  gagged  and 
bound  him  very  securely,  and  left  him  on  the  floor.  They 
then  tied  a  cord  to  the  window  and  slid,  one  after  the 
other,  to  the  ground,  the  man  going  first,  as  the  one  who 
would  have  been  the  most  severely  punished  if  their  flight 
had  been  prevented.  The  depth  of  the  ditch  is  so  great, 
that  although  their  rope  was  a  very  long  one,  they  were 
obliged  to  drop  a  considerable  distance.  The  servant  suf- 
fered no  injury  from  the  fall,  but  the  duke  came  to  the 
earth  with  such  violence  that  he  fainted,  and  it  took  some 
time  to  bring  him  to  himself.  When  he  was  sufficiently 

K  2 


08  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

recovered,  four  or  five  of  his  people,  who  were  on  the 
other  side  of  the  ditch,  and  who  had  witnessed  his  sufferings 
with  an  anxiety  that  may  easily  be  conceived,  threw  another 
rope  to  the  fugitives,  and  by  means  of  it  drew  them  up  by 
sheer  force  of  arm  to  their  own  side — the  servant  taking 
precedence  of  his  master,  as  before,  in  accordance  with  the 
engagement  between  them,  which  the  duke  most  faithfully 
observed  throughout  the  affair.  When  he  reached  the  bank, 
the  duke  was  in  a  very  poor  plight,  for  he  had  not  only 
been  wounded  in  falling,  but  his  flesh  had  been  cruelly 
pressed  and  cut  by  the  tightened  rope.  But  having  a  little 
recovered  his  strength,  as  much  by  his  own  natural  force 
of  will  as  by  his  fear  of  losing  the  reward  of  all  his  exertions, 
he  raised  himself  and  walked  into  a  neighbouring  wood, 
where  he  found  a  troop  of  fifty  horsemen  ready  to  do  his 
bidding.  One  of  his  gentlemen,  who  was  with  him  at  the  time, 
has  since  told  me  that  the  duke's  joy  at  seeing  himself  again 
at  liberty  and  among  his  friends  was  such  that  it  seemed 
to  cure  him  in  an  instant,  and  that  he  leaped  on  horseback 
and  vanished  like  a  flash  of  lightning,  as  though  he  were 
mad  with  joy  at  the  idea  of  being  able  to  breathe  the  air 
without  restraint,  and  to  say  with  King  Francis,  when  he 
set  foot  in  France,  on  his  return  from  Spain,  'I  am  free  !' 
A  woman  gathering  herbs  by  the  side  of  the  ditch,  with  her 
little  son,  saw  all  that  passed ;  but  the  men  in  ambush  had 
so  threatened  them,  and  they  had  besides,  so  little  interest 
in  preventing  the  escape  of  the  duke,  that  they  were  per- 
fectly still  and  became  passive  spectators  of  all  that  passed. 
As  soon,  however,  as  the  fugitives  were  gone  the  woman  ran 
with  the  news  to  her  husband,  the  gardener  'of  the  place,  and 
the  two  together  alarmed  the  guard.  But  it  was  too  late  ; 
it  was  not  for  man  to  change  what  God  had  ordained,  for 


CARDINAL   DE    RETZ.  69 

the  stars,  which  seem  sometimes  to  register  the  decrees  ot 
sovereigns,  had  already  informed  many  persons,  through 
an  astrologer,  named  Goesel,  that  the  duke  would  leave  the 
chateau  that  very  day.  The  news  had  a  great  effect  on  the 
whole  court,  and  particularly  on  those  who  knew  something 
of  the  duke's  plans.  The  minister  was,  no  doubt,  a  good 
deal  annoyed  at  the  success  of  the  little  plot ;  but,  true  to 
his  old  habit,  he  didziot  make  any  display  of  his  feelings." 

Madame  de  Motteville  afterwards  adds,  "The  Queen  and 
Cardinal  Mazarin  talk  very  good-naturedly  about  it.  and 
say  laughingly,  that  M.  de  Beaufort  has  done  right" 


CARDINAL  DE  RETZ. 
1654. 

IN  December,  1652,  Cardinal  de  Retz,  who  had  played  so 
considerable  a  part  in  the  troubles  of  the  Fronde,  was 
wasting  his  time  in  fruitless  negotiations  with  the  ministers, 
when  he  was  arrested  at  the  Louvre  and  taken  to  Vincennes, 
He  did  not  like  his  prison,  and  he  had  therefore  to  do  what 
was  very  distasteful  to  him — namely,  to  make  a  humble 
appeal  to  the  Archbishop  of  Paris,  ere  he  could  procure  his 
transfer  to  the  Chateau  of  Nantes,  then  under  the  governor- 
ship of  Chulucet.  From  thence  in  due  time  he  made  his 
escape  ;  and  he  gives  us  the  following  account  of  the  exploit 
in  his  memoirs  : — 

"  The  Marshal  de  la  Meilleraye  and  the  First  President 
de  Bellievre  came  together  to  fetch  me  from  Vincennes.  As 
the  marshal  was  a  martyr  to  the  gout  he  could  not  come  up- 
stairs, so  that  M.  Bellievre  alone  came  to  my  room,  and 
this  gave  him  an  opportunity  to  tell  me,  as  we  were  leaving 


yo  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

it  together,  that  I  was  to  be  sure  not  to  give  my  parole  when 
I  was  asked  for  it  I  had  no  sooner  reached  the  bottom  of 
the  staircase  than  the  marshal  demanded  this  pledge.  1 
replied,  that  though  I  had  heard  of  prisoners  of  war  being 
required  to  give  their  parole,  I  did  not  know  that  the 
demand  was  customary  in  the  case  of  prisoners  of  state.  M. 
de  Bellievre  then  struck  in  on  my  side  and  said,  '  You  don't 
understand  one  another.  The  cardinal  will  not  refuse  to 
give  his  word  provided  only  that  you  (turning  to  the  marshal) 
confide  absolutely  in  him,  and  let  him  walk  about  without 
guards ;  but  if  you  guard  him,  monsieur,  of  what  use  will 
his  parole  be,  for  a  man  who  is  guarded  is  free  from  all 
obligations  of  honour?'  * 

"  The  First  President  knew  very  well  what  he  was  about 
in  saying  this,  for  he  had  heard  the  Queen  make  the  marshal 
promise  that  they  should  never  lose  sight  of  me.  '  You 
know,'  replied  the  marshal,  looking  M.  de  Bellievre  in  the 
face,  '  whether  or  not  I  am  able  to  do  what  you  propose. 
But  come,'  he  continued,  turning  to  me,  '  I  must  guard  you, 
then,  it  seems;  however,  I  will  take  care  that  you  have 
nothing  to  complain  of.' 

"  I  remained  there  simply  under  the  charge  of  M.  de  la 
Meilieraye,  and  he  kept  his  word,  for  it  would  have  been 
impossible  to  add  to  the  kindness  with  which  he  treated  me. 
I  saw  everybody ;  I  had  even  all  the  amusements  I  desired, 
including  a  comedy  almost  every  evening.  All  the  ladies 
were  there,  and  they  supped  with  me  very  often.  The 
fidelity  of  the  guards  to  their  trust  was  equal  to  their  good 
nature.  They  never  lost  sight  of  me  except  when  I  entered 
my  room,  and  the  only  door  of  this  room  was  watched  by  six 
men,  day  and  night.  The  window — a  very  high  one — looked 
out  on  a  courtyard,  always  filled  with  soldiers,  and  the  six 


CARDINAL   DE    RETZ.  7 1 

men  appointed  to  look  after  me  used  to  watch  me  from  a 
terrace  when  T  was  taking  exercise  in  a  little  garden  planted 
in  a  kind  of  bastion  or  ravelin  on  a  level  with  the  water. 

"  I  resolved,  however,  to  devote  all  my  energies  to  the 
recovery  of  my  liberty.  The  First  President  urged  me  very 
strongly  to  make  the  attempt,  and  Montresor  had  sent  me, 
through  a  lady  of  Nantes,  a  note  containing  the  following 
words  : — '  You  are  tobetakento  Brest  atthe  end  of  themonth, 
if  you  don't  get  away.'  But  my  task  was  by  no  means  an  easy 
one.  The  first  thing  was  to  amuse  the  marshal,  and  in  doing 
that  I  did  not  forget  that  the  most  suspicious  persons  are 
often  the  most  easily  duped.  I  then  spoke  to  M.  de  Brissac, 
who  made  journeys  to  Nantes  from  time  to  time,  and  who 
promised  to  help  me.  As  he  carried  a  great  deal  with  him 
he  invariably  had  a  number  of  mules  in  his  train,  and  it 
occurred  to  me  that  I  might  easily  hide  myself  in  one  of  the 
large  trunks  fastened  to  these  creatures'  backs.  A  trunk 
was  accordingly  made  for  me  somewhat  larger  than  the  rest, 
and  with  a  hole  or  two  in  it  to  admit  air.  I  tried  it  myself, 
and  came  to  the  conclusion  that  this  means  of  escape  was 
not  only  practicable,  but  that  it  was  as  easy  as  it  was  simple, 
and  that  it  would  not  oblige  me  to  share  my  secret  with 
many  persons. 

"  M.  de  Brissac,  too,  was  very  much  in  favour  of  it  at 
first,  but  in  the  course  of  a  journey  to  Machecoul  he  quite 
changed  his  opinion.  On  his  return  to  Nantes  he  assured 
me  that  I  could  not  fail  to  be  suffocated  in  the  trunk ;  but  to 
convince  me  that  his  good  intentions  on  my  behalf  remained 
the  same,  he  told  me  that  if  I  devised  some  other  plan  I 
might  reckon  on  very  effectual  help  from  him  in  all  that  con 
cerned  the  outside  of  the  castle.  We  therefore  began  to 
take  new  measures  on  a  plan  which  I  formed  myself  the 


7»  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

moment    I   became  convinced  that  the  other  one  could 
not  be  put  into  execution. 

"  I  have  already  said  that  I  used  sometimes  to  take  exer- 
cise on  a  kind  of  ravelin  that  gives  on  the  river  Loire.  As  we 
were  in  the  month  of  August,  and  the  river  was  very  dry,  the 
water  did  not  quite  touch  the  wall  of  the  ravelin,  but  left  a 
long  strip  of  shore  visible  at  the  foot  of  it.  Between  the 
garden  which  was  on  the  top  of  this  bastion  and  the  terrace 
where  my  guards  took  their  station,  there  was  a  door,  which 
Chalucet  had  had  made  to  prevent  the  soldiers  from  stealing 
his  grapes.  This  circumstance  shaped  my  plan,  which  was 
to  quietly  fasten  the  door  after  me  one  day  without  letting 
the  guards  observe  what  I  was  doing,  and  then,  while  they 
could  still  see  me  through  the  open  trellis-work,  without  being 
able  to  reach,  me  if  their  suspicions  should  be  aroused,  to 
drop  down  from  the  wall  by  means  of  a  rope  provided  for  me 
by  my  doctor  and  the  Abbe  Rousseau,  and  to  jump  on 
horseback  at  the  bottom  of  the  ravelin  with  four  gentlemen, 
whom  I  intended  to  make  the  companions  of  my  flight. 
This  plan  was,  of  course,  very  difficult  of  execution.  It  could 
only  be  carried  out  in  open  day,  between  two  sentries  stand- 
ing but  thirty  paces  apart,  and  in  full  view  of  the  six  guards 
who  could  fire  at  me  through  the  openings  in  the  trellis-work. 
It  was  necessary  again  that  the  four  gentlemen  who  were  to 
accompany  me  and  to  favour  my  escape  should  be  careful 
to  be  at  the  foot  of  the  ravelin  at  exactly  the  proper  time, 
for  their  presence  there  a  moment  too  early  would  excite 
suspicions  that  might  ruin  all.  If  my  object  had  merely 
been  to  get  out  of  prison  it  would  have  been  enough  for  me 
to  have  taken  only  such  measures  as  I  have  already  indicated ; 
but  I  had  very  much  more  to  do  besides,  for  it  was  my  in- 
tention to  make  my  way  to  Paris  and  to  appear  there  in 


CARDINAL   DE   RETZ.  73 

public.  And  more  than  that,  I  had  other  pretensions  that 
entailed  difficulties  of  a  still  more  formidable  nature.  It  was 
desirable  that  I  should  travel  from  Nantes  to  Paris  by  dili- 
gence, for  the  couriers  of  the  marshal  would  be  certain  to 
carry  the  alarm  along  every  road,  and  it  would  be  impossible 
for  me  to  avoid  observation  and  arrest  if  I  travelled  alone. 
And  lastly,  I  should  have  to  take  care  to  inform  my  friends 
in  Paris  of  my  intentions  while  keeping  my  enemies  there  in 
ignorance  of  them.  No  event  of  our  time  would  be  more 
extraordinary  than  the  success  of  an  escape  like  mine,  if  the 
end  of  it  were  at  the  same  time  to  free  me  from  my  fetters 
and  to  make  me  master  of  the  capital  of  the  kingdom. 

"  I  began  my  flight  on  Saturday  the  8th  of  April,  at  five 
o'clock  in  the  evening.  The  little  garden  door  closed,  so  to 
speak,  quite  naturally  after  me,  and  I  slid  down  easily  (with 
a  stick  between  my  legs)  from  the  bastion,  which  was  forty 
feet  high.  My  valet  de  chambre,  Fromentin,  who  is  with 
me  still,  kept  the  guards  occupied  by  giving  them  drink,  and 
they  became  quite  absorbed  in  the  amusement  of  watching 
a  Jacobin,  who  had  got  out  of  his  depth  in  the  river  and 
was  drowning  under  the  castle  walls.  The  sentinel  who  was 
but  seventy  paces  from  me,  but  in  such  a  position  that  he 
could  not  reach  me,  hesitated  to  fire,  because  the  moment  I 
saw  him  getting  his  match  ready  I  called  out  to  him  that  he 
would  be  hanged  if  he  did  me  harm,  and  he  afterwards  de- 
clared that  this  led  him  to  believe  I  was  escaping  with  the 
connivance  of  the  marshal.  Two  little  pages,  who  were 
bathing,  and  who  saw  me  hanging  t>y  the  rope,  cried  out 
lustily  that  I  was  trying  to  get  away,  but  no  attention  was 
mid  to  them,  because  it  was  thought  that  they  were  merely 
calling  for  help  for  the  drowning  Jacobin.  The  four  gentle- 
men were  waiting  for  me  at  the  bottom  of  the  ravelin,  where 


74  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

they  pretended  to  be  watering  their  horses  as  though  they 
were  just  getting  ready  for  the  chase.  To  be  brief,  I  was  on 
horseback  myself  before  the  least  alarm  had  been  given,  and 
as  I  had  forty  relays  placed  between  Nantes  and  Paris,  I 
should  infallibly  have  reached  the  capital  had  not  an  accident 
occurred  which  I  may  say  has  exercised  a  fatal  influence 
over  the  rest  of  my  life. 

"  The  moment  I  got  to  horse  I  took  the  road  to  Mauve — 
which  is,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  at  about  five  leagues  from 
Nantes  by  the  river.  It  was  agreed  that  M.  de  Brissac  and 
the  Chevalier  de  Sevigne  should  be  in  readiness  there  with 
a  boat  to  carry  me  over.  La  Ralde,  master  of  the  horse  to 
the  Duke  de  Brissac,  who  preceded  me,  told  me  that  I  must 
gallop  very  fast,  so  as  not  to  give  the  marshal's  guards  time 
to  close  the  gate  of  a  little  "street  in  their  quarter  through 
which  we  should  have  to  pass.  I  was  mounted  on  one  of 
the  best  horses  in  the  world,  which  had  cost  M.  de  Brissac 
a  thousand  crowns,  but  I  did  not  let  him  have  his  head, 
because  the  pavement  was  very  bad  and  very  slippery.  We 
were  making  great  speed  when  one  of  my  gentlemen  having 
suddenly  warned  me  to  take  to  my  pistols  because  two  of 
the  marshal's  guards  were  approaching — who,  however, 
were  not  paying  the  least  attention  to  us — I  unfortunately 
followed  his  advice,  and  was  in  the  act  of  presenting  the 
pistol  at  the  nearest  guard,  when  it  exploded  and  frightened 
my  horse,  which  reared  and  threw  rne.  I  fell  with  great 
violence  against  a  door-post  and  broke  my  left  shoulder. 
Another  of  my  gentlemen,  named  Beauchesne,  lifted  me 
up  and  put  me  on  horseback  again  :  and  though  I  endured 
such  frightful  sufferings  that  I  was  obliged  every  now  and 
then  to  pull  my  hair  to  save  myself  from  fainting,  I 
finished  ray  ride  of  five  leagues  before  the  grand-master, 


CARDINAL    DE    RETZ.  75 

who  followed  at  full  speed  with  all  the  couriers  of  Nantes, 
could  come  up  with  me.  I  found  M.  de  Brissac  and 
the  Chevalier  de  Sevigne'  at  the  appointed  place  by  the 
river,  but  I  fainted  the  moment  I  entered  the  boat.  They 
brought  me  to  myself  by  throwing  water  in  my  face.  I 
wanted  to  get  on  horseback  again  when  we  had  passed  the 
river,  but  I  lacked  the  strength ;  and  Monsieur  de  Brissac 
was  obliged  to  put  me  in  a  stack'  of  hay,  where  he  left  me 
with  one  of  my  gentlemen,  named  Montet,  who  held  me  in 
his  arms.  He  took  Joly  away  with  him,  who,  with  Montet, 
had  alone  been  able  to  follow  us,  the  horses  of  the  others 
having  broken  down  :  and  he  went  straight  to  Beaupreau, 
with  the  intention  of  assembling  the  nobility  there  to  come 
to  my  aid. 

"  I  was  hidden  there  above  seven  hours,  suffering  agonies 
such  as  I  can  hardly  describe.  My  shoulder  was  put  out 
of  joint,  and  I  was  covered  with  terrible  bruises.  I  was 
seized  with  a  fever  at  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening, 
and  the  pain  that  gave  me  was  cruelly  aggravated  by  the 
heat  of  the  hay.  I  did  not  dare  drink,  although  I  was  on 
the  bank  of  the  river,  because  if  Montet  and  I  had  quitted 
our  hiding-place  there  would  have  been  no  one  to  arrange 
the  hay  after  us ;  and  this  circumstance  would  have  put  our 
pursuers  on  our  track.  As  it  was,  we  heard  the  horse- 
soldiers  passing  to  right  and  left  of  us.  M.  de  la  Poise 
St.  Ofifanges,  a  gentleman  of  some  distinction  in  the  dis- 
trict, whom  M.  de  Brissac  had  informed  of  my  plight,  came 
at  about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  to  take  me  away  from 
the  stack  as  soon  as  he  had  remarked  that  there  were  no 
more  horse-soldiers  in  the  neighbourhood. 

"  Monsieur  d'Offanges  put  me  upon  a  hand-barrow  and 
had  me  wheeled  by  two  peasants  to  a  barn  at  about  two 


'/6  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES 

leagues  from  the  place,  where  I  was  again  covered  with 
hay ;  but  as  I  now  had  something  to  drink  I  found  myseli 
in  a  state  of  almost  perfect  comfort. 

"  In  about  seven  or  eight  hours  Monsieur  and  Madame 
Brissac  came  to  fetch  me  with  about  fifteen  or  twenty  horses, 
and  they  took  me  to  Beaupreau,  where  I  only  remained 
one  night,  while  the  nobility  were  being  called  together. 
In  this  short  time  M.  de  Brissac  had  assembled  more  than 
two  hundred  gentlemen,  who  were  joined  at  about  four 
leagues  from  the  place  by  three  hundred  gentlemen  under 
M.  de  Retz.  We  passed  almost  within  sight  of  Nantes, 
from  which  place  some  of  the  marshal's  guards  came  to 
intercept  us.  They  were  vigorously  repulsed  and  driven 
within  the  barrier,  and  we  arrived  at  Machecoul,  which  is 
in  the  district  of  De  Retz,  in  perfect  safety." 

From  Machecoul,  Cardinal  de  Retz  was  taken,  not  without 
difficulty,  to  Belle-Isle;  and  some  days  after  he  reached 
San  Sebastian,  whence  he  went  with  Spanish  passports  to 
Rome.  (Memoirs  of  Cardinal  de  Retz.} 


QUIQUERAN  DE  BEAUJEU. 
1671. 

PAUL-ANTOINE  QUIQUERAN  DE  BEAUJEU,  Knight  of  Malta, 
had  acquired  the  reputation  of  one  of  the  first  seamen  of 
his  time  by  the  number  and  success  of  his  fights  against  the 
Turks.  In  the  month  of  January,  1660,  he  was  driven  by  a 
storm  into  one  of  the  worst  ports  of  the  Archipelago,  where 
he  was  blockaded  and  attacked  by  thirty  galleys  of  Rhodes, 
commanded  by  the  Capitan  Pacha  Mazamet  in  person.  He 
stood  out  against  an  overpowering  fire  for  an  entire  day, 


QUINQUERAN    DE    BEAUJEU.  77 

and  only  yielded  when  he  had  spent  all  his  ammunition  and 
lost  three-fourths  of  his  crew.  He  was  put  into  irons  and 
carried  away  in  triumph ;  but  the  victorious  fleet  was 
assailed  with  a  new  storm  of  such  violence  that  Mazamet 
was  obliged  to  have  recourse  to  the  superior  seaman- 
ship of  his  captive.  M.  de  Beaujeu  saved  him,  and  so  won 
the  gratitude  of  the  Turk  that  the  latter,  with  a  view  to 
rescue  his  preserver,  placed  him  for  concealment  among 
the  lowe  st  slaves.  The  grand  vizier,  however,  who  had 
probably  been  informed  of  this  stratagem,  demanded  the 
illustrious  prisoner  by  name ;  and  recognising  Beaujeu  by 
his  haughty  air,  he  picked  him  out  from  among  the  slaves 
and  sent  him  to  the  Seven  Towers,  bidding  him  give  up  all 
hope  of  ransom  or  of  exchange.  The  Porte  rejected  every 
proposal  made  for  his  release,  although  the  King  interceded 
for  him,  and  the  Venetians  sought  in  vain  to  have  his  name 
included  in  the  terms  of  the  Treaty  of  Candia.  One  of  his 
nephews,  about  twenty-two  years  of  age,  then  formed  a  plan 
for  effecting  his  release  and  he  executed  it  in  the  most  bril- 
liant and  successful  manner.  He  first  went  to  Constantinople 
with  M.  de  Nointel,  the  ambassador  of  France,  and  there 
he  was  allowed  to  see  the  prisoner — that  permission  being 
freely  granted  to  every  one  on  account  of  the  supposed 
safety  of  the  place.  No  other  precaution  was  taken  than 
that  of  searching  the  visitors,  who  were  obliged,  before 
seeing  the  prisoners,  to  give  up  their  arms,  their  pocket- 
knives,  and  even  their  keys. 

M.  de  Beaujeu  was  at  first  alarmed  at  a  proposal  which 
threatened  to  have  very  dangerous  results  ;  but  eleven  years 
of  imprisonment,  his  natural  taste  for  hazardous  enterprises, 
and  the  contagious  example  of  the  young  man's  courage  and 
enthusiasm  soon  decided  him  to  give  his  consent  to  the 


7 8  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

attempt.  His  nephew  then  began  to  carry  him  at  each  visit 
a  small  piece  of  rope,  which  he  placed  round  his  body ;  and 
when  he  thought  he  had  enough  of  it  for  his  purpose,  he 
fixed  on  the  day,  the  hour,  and  the  signal  for  his  departure. 
When  the  signal  was  given,  the  chevalier  slid  down  from 
the  walls ;  but  finding  the  rope  somewhat  too  short,  he  let 
himself  drop  into  the  sea,  which  washes  the  base  of  the 
Seven  Towers.  The  splash  of  the  falling  body  was  heard 
by  some  Turks  passing  in  a  brigantine,  and  they  made 
towards  the  fugitive ;  but  the  nephew,  reaching  him  first  in 
a  well-armed  skiff,  drove  them  off,  picked  up  his  uncle,  and 
took  him  on  board  one  of  the  King's  ships,  commanded  by 
his  friend  the  Count  d'Apremont.  The  vessel  carried  him 
safely  to  France,  where  he  lived  a  long  while  in  the  bosom 
of  his  family,  as  Commandant  of  Bordeaux. 

The  Governor  of  the  Seven  Towers  was  put  to  death  for 
permitting  his  escape. 

CHARLES  II. 
1680. 

CHARLES  had  landed  in  Scotland  to  attempt  to  reconquer 
the  throne  of  the  Stuarts,  and  had  been  doomed  to  witness 
the  ruin  of  all  his  hopes  at  the  disastrous  battle  of  Worcester. 
He  had  displayed  great  courage  on  that  occasion,  but  he 
had  been  compelled  to  take  to  flight,  with  many  of  his 
bravest  and  most  distinguished  officers.  The  following 
narrative,  extracted  from  a  fuller  account  in  the  Pepys  MS., 
is  in  his  own  words  : — 

"  After  that  the  battle  was  so  absolutely  lost  as  to  be 
beyond  hope  of  recovery,  I  began  to  think  of  the  best  way 
of  saving  myself,  and  the  first  thought  that  came  into  my 


He  let  himself  drop  into  the  sea. 


CHARLES   II.  79 

head  was,  that,  if  I  could  possibly,  I  would  get  to  London 
as  soon,  if  not  sooner,  than  the  news  of  our  defeat  could 
get  thither ;  and  it  being  near  dark  I  talked  with  some, 
especially  with  my  Lord  Rochester,  who  was  then  Wilrnot, 
about  their  opinions  which  would  be  the  best  way  for  me 
to  escape,  it  being  impossible,  as  I  thought,  to  get  back  to 
Scotland.  I  found  them  mightily  distracted,  and  their 
opinions  different,  of  the  possibility  of  getting  to  Scotland ; 
but  not  one  agreeing  with  mine  for  going  to  London,  saving 
my  Lord  Wilmot ;  and  the  truth  is  I  did  not  impart  my 
design  of  going  to  London  to  any  but  my  Lord  Wilmot. 
But  we  had  such  a  number  of  beaten  men  with  us  of  the 
horse  that  I  strove,  as  soon  as  it  was  dark,  to  get  from 
them ;  and  though  I  could  not  get  them  to  stand  by  me 
against  the  enemy,  I  could  not  get  rid  of  them  now  I  had  a 
mind  to  it  So  we — that  is,  my  Lord  Duke  of  Buckingham, 
Lauderdale,  Derby,  Wilmot,  Tom  Blague,  Duke  Darcey, 
and  several  others  of  my  servants — went  along  northwards 
towards  Scotland ;  and  at  last  we  got  about  sixty  that  were 
gentlemen  and  officers,  and  slipped  away  out  of  the  high 
road  that  goes  to  Lancashire,  and  kept  on  the  right  hand, 
letting  all  the  beaten  men  go  along  the  great  road;  and 
ourselves  not  knowing  very  well  which  way  to  go,  for  it  was 
then  too  late  for  us  to  get  to  London  on  horseback,  riding 
directly  for  it ;  nor  could  we  do  it,  because  there  were 
many  people  of  quality  with  us  that  I  could  not  get  rid  of. 

"  So  we  rode  through  a  town  short  of  Wolverhampton, 
betwixt  that  and  Worcester,  and  went  through,  there  lying  a 
troop  of  the  enemies  there  that  night.  We  rode  very  quietly 
through  the  town,  they  having  nobody  to  watch,  nor  tli^y 
suspecting  us  more  than  we  did  them,  which  I  learnt  after- 
wards from  a  country  fellow. 


,»0  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

"We  went  that  night  about  twenty  miles,  to  a  place 
called  White  Lady's,  hard  by  Tong  Castle,  by  the  advice  of 
Mr.  Giffard,  where  we  stopped  and  got  some  little  refresh- 
ment of  bread  and  cheese,  such  as  we  could  get,  it  being 
just  beginning  to  be  day.  This  White  Lady's  was  a  private 
house,  that  Mr.  Giffard,  who  was  a  Staffordshire  man,  had 
told  me  belonged  to  honest  people  that  lived  thereabouts. 

"  And  just  as  we  came  thither  there  came  in  a  country 
fellow,  that  told  us  there  were  three  thousand  of  our  horse 
just  hard  by  Tong  Castle,  upon  the  heath,  all  in  disorder, 
under  David  Leslie  and  some  other  of  the  general  officers  ; 
upon  which  there  were  some  of  the  people  of  quality  that 
were  with  me,  who  were  very  earnest  that  I  should  go  to  him 
and  endeavour  to  go  into  Scotland,  which  I  thought  was 
absolutely  impossible,  knowing  very  well  they  would  all  rise 
upon  us,  and  that  men  who  had  deserted  me  when  they 
were  in  good  order  would  never  stand  to  me  when  they  had 
been  beaten. 

"  This  made  me  take  the  resolution  of  putting  myself 
into  a  disguise,  and  endeavouring  to  get  a-foot  to  London 
in  a  country  fellow's  habit,  with  a  pair  of  ordinary  grey  cloth 
breeches,  a  leathern  doublet,  and  a  green  jerkin,  which  I 
took  in  the  house  of  White  Lady's.  I  also  cut  my  hair 
very  short,  and  flung  my  clothes  into  a  privy-house,  that 
nobody  might  see  that  anybody  had  been  stripping  them- 
selves, I  acquainting  none  with  my  resolution  of  going  to 
London  but  my  Lord  Wilmot,  they  all  desiring  me  not  to 
acquaint  them  with  what  I  intended  to  do,  because  they 
knew  not  what  they  might  be  forced  to  confess ;  on  which 
consideration  they  Avith  one  voice  begged  of  me  not  to  tell 
thsm  what  I  intended  to  do. 

"  So  all  the  persons  of  quality  and  officers  who  were  with 


CHARJ.KS    II.  8? 

me. — except  mvLord  Wilmot  with  whom  a  plare  was  agreed 
upon  for  our  meeting  in  London  if  we  escaped,  and  who 
endeavoured  to  go  on  horseback,  in  regard,  as  I  think,  of 
his  being  too  big  to  go  on  foot — were  resolved  to  go  and 
join  with  the  three  thousand  disordered  horse,  thinking 
to  get  away  with  them  to  Scotland.  But,  as  I  did  before 
believe,  they  were  all  routed  by  a  single  troop  of  horse ; 
which  shows  that  my  opinion  was  not  wrong  in  not  sticking 
to  men  who  had  run  away. 

"  As  soon  as  I  was  disguised  I  took  with  me  a  country 
fellow,  whose  name  was  Richard  Penderell,  whom  Mr.  Gif- 
fard  had  undertaken  to  answer  for  to  be  an  honest  man. 
He  was  a  Roman  Catholic,  and  I  chose  to  trust  them, 
because  I  knew  they  had  hiding-places  for  priests,  that  I 
thought  I  might  make  use  of  in  case  of  need. 

"  I  was  no  sooner  gone  out  of  the  house  with  this  country 
fellow  (being  the  next  morning  after  the  battle,  and  then 
broad  day)  but  as  I  was  in  a  great  wood,  I  sat  myself  at 
the  edge  of  the  wood,  near  the  highway  that  was  there,  the 
better  to  see  who  came  after  us,  and  whether  they  made  any 
search  after  the  runaways,  and  I  immediately  saw  a  troop  of 
horse  coming  by,  which  I  conceived  to  be  the  same  troop 
that  beat  our  three  thousand  horse ;  but  it  did  not  look  like 
a  troop  of  the  army's,  but  of  the  militia,  for  the  fellow  before 
it  did  not  look  at  all  like  a  soldier. 

"  In  this  wood  I  stayed  all  night,  without  meat  or  drink, 
and  by  great  good  fortune  it  rained  all  the  time,  which  hin- 
dered them,  as  I  believe,  from  coming  into  the  wood  to 
search  for  men  that  might  be  fled  thither;  and  one  thing  is 
remarkable  enough,  that  those  with  whom  I  have  since 
spoken,  of  them  that  joined  with  the  horse  upon  the  heath, 
did  say  that  it  rained  little  or  nothing  with  them  all  the  day, 


82  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

but  only  in  the  wood  where  i  was — thus  contributing  to  my 
safety. 

"  As  I  was  in  the  wood  1  talked  with  the  fellow  about 
getting  towards  London,  and  asking  many  questions  about 
what  gentlemen  he  knew.  I  did  not  find  he  knew  any 
man  of  quality  in  the  way  towards  London.  And  the  truth 
is  my  mind  changed  as  I  lay  in  the  wood,  and  I  resolved  on 
another  way  of  making  my  escape ;  which  was,  to  get  over 
the  Severn  into  Wales,  and  so  to  get  either  to  Swansea  or 
some  other  of  the  sea  towns  that  I  knew  had  commerce 
with  France,  to  the  end  I  might  get  over  that  way,  as  being 
a  way  that  I  thought  none  would  suspect  my  taking ;  be- 
sides that  I  remembered  several  honest  gentlemen  that  were 
of  my  acquaintance  in  Wales. 

"  So  that  night  as  soon  as  it  was  dark,  Richard  Pendereil 
and  I  took  our  journey  on  foot  towards  the  Severn,  intend- 
ing to  pass  over  a  ferry  half  way  between  Bridgenorth  and 
Shrewsbury.  But  as  we  were  going  in  the  night,  we  came 
up  by  a  mill,  where  I  heard  some  people  talking  (memo- 
randum that  I  had  got  some  bread  and  cheese  the  night 
before  at  one  of  the  Penderells'  houses,  I  not  going  in)  and 
as  we  conceived  it  was  about  twelve  or  one  o'clock  at  night, 
and  the  country  fellow  desired  me  not  to  answer  if  anybody 
should  ask  me  any  questions  because  I  had  not  the  accent 
of  the  country. 

"  Just  as  we  came  to  the  mill,  we  could  see  the  miller,  as 
I  believed,  sitting  at  the  mill  door,  he  being  in  white  clothes, 
it  being  a  very  dark  night.  He  called  out,  '  Who  goes 
there  ? ;  Upon  which  Richard  Pendereil  answered,  '  Neigh- 
bours going  home,'  or  some  such  like  words,  whereupon 
the  miller  cried  out,  '  If  you  be  neighbours,  stand,  or  I  will 
knock  you  down.'  Upon  which  we  believing  there  was 


CHARLES    II.  83 

company  in  the  house,  the  fellow  bade  me  follow  him  close, 
and  he  run  to  a  gate  that  went  up  a  dirty  lane,  up  a  hill ; 
and  opening  the  gate  the  miller  cried  out, '  Rogues,  rogues ' ' 
And  thereupon  some  men  came  out  of  the  mill  after  us, 
which  I  believed  were  soldiers.  So  we  fell  a-running  both 
of  us,  up  the  lane  as  long  as  we  could  run,  it  being  very 
deep  and  very  dirty,  till  at  last  I  bade  him  leap  over  a 
hedge,  and  lie  still  to  hear  if  anybody  followed  us,  which 
we  did,  and  continued  lying  upon  the  ground  about  half 
an  hour,  when  hearing  nobody  come,  we  continued  our 
way  on  to  the  village  upon  the  Severn,  where  the  fellow  told 
me  there  was  an  honest  gentleman,  one  Mr.  Woolfe,  that 
lived  in  that  town,  where  I  might  be  with  great  safety,  for 
that  he  had  hiding-holes  for  priests.  But  I  would  not  go  in, 
till  I  knew  a  little  of  his  mind  whether  he  would  receive  so 
dangerous  a  guest  as  me,  and  therefore  stayed  in  a  field, 
under  a  hedge,  by  a  great  tree.  Commanding  him  not  to 
say  it  was  I,  but  only  to  ask  Mr.  Woolfe  whether  he  would 
receive  an  English  gentleman,  a  person  of  quality,  to  hide 
him  the  next  day,  till  we  could  travel  again  by  night — for  I 
durst  not  go  but  by  night. 

"  Mr.  Woolfe,  when  the  country  fellow  told  him  it  was  one 
that  had  escaped  from  the  battle  of  Worcester,  said  that  for 
his  part,  it  was  so  dangerous  a  thing  to  harbour  anybody 
that  was  known,  that  he  would  not  venture  his  neck  for 
any  man,  unless  it  were  the  King  himself.  Upon  which 
Richard  Penderell,  very  indiscreetly,  and  without  my  leave, 
told  him  it  was  I.  Upon  which  Mr.  Woolfe  replied,  he 
should  be  very  ready  to  venture  all  he  had  in  the  world  to 
secure  me.  Upon  which  Richard  Penderell  came  and  told 
me  what  he  had  done,  at  which  I  was  a  little  troubled  ;  but 
then  there  was  no  remedy,  the  day  being  just  coming  in, 

G    2 


&4  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

and  I  must  either  venture  that  or  run  some  greater  danger. 
"  So  I  came  into  the  house  by  a  back  way,  where  I  found 
Mr.  Woolfe,  an  old  gentleman,  who  told  me  he  was  very 
sorry  to  see  me  there,  because  there  were  two  companies 
of  the  militia  sort  at  that  time  in  arms  in  the  town, 
and  kept  a  guard  at  the  ferry  to  examine  everybody  that 
came  that  way ;  and  that  he  durst  not  put  me  into  any  of 
the  hiding-holes  of  his  house  because  they  had  been  dis- 
covered, and  consequently  if  any  search  should  be  made, 
they  would  certainly  repair  to  these  holes,  and  that  there- 
fore I  had  no  other  way  of  security  but  to  g6  into  his  barn, 
and  there  lie  behind  his  corn  and  hay.  So  after  he  had 
given  us  some  cold  meat  that  was  ready,  we,  without  making 
any  bustle  in  the  house,  went  and  lay  in  the  barn  all  the 
next  day,  when  towards  evening,  his  son  who  had  been 
prisoner  at  Shrewsbury,  an  honest  man,  was  released,  and 
came  home  to  his  father's  house.  And  as  soon  as  ever  it 
began  to  be  a  little  darkish,  Mr.  Woolfe  and  his  son  brought 
us  meat  into  the  barn,  and  then  we  discoursed  with  them 
whether  we  might  safely  get  over  the  Severn  into  Wales, 
which  they  advised  me  by  no  means  to  adventure  upon, 
because  of  the  strict  guards  that  were  kept  all  along  the 
Severn  where  any  passage  could  be  found,  for  preventing 
anybody  escaping  that  way  into  Wales. 

"  Upon  this  I  took  resolution  that  night  the  very  same  way 
back  again  to  Penderell's  house,  where  I  knew  I  should 
hear  some  news  what  was  become  of  my  Lord  Wilmot, 
and  resolved  again  upon  going  for  London. 

"  So  we  set  out  as  soon  as  it  was  dark,  but  we  came  by 
the  mill  again ;  we  had  no  mind  to  be  questioned  a  second 
time  there,  and  therefore  asking  Richard  Penderell  whether 
he  could  swim  or  no,  and  how  deep  the  river  was,  he  told 


CHARLES    II.  85 

me  it  was  a  scurvy  river,  not  easy  to  be  passed  in  all  places, 
and  that  he  could  not  swim.  So  I  told  him  the  river  being 
but  a  little  one,  I  would  undertake  to  help  him  over. 
Upon  which  we  went  over  some  closes  by  the  river-side  and 
I  entering  the  river  first  to  see  if  I  could  myself  go  over, 
who  knew  how  to  swim,  found  it  was  but  a  little  above  my 
middle,  and  thereupon  taking  Richard  Penderell  by  the 
hand,  I  helped  him  over.  "Which  being  done,  we  went 
on  our  way  to  one  of  Penderell's  brothers  (his  house  not 
being  far  from  White  Lady's),  who  had  been  guide  to  my 
Lord  Wilmot,  and  we  believed  might  by  that  time  be  come 
back  again,  for  my  Lord  Wilmot  intended  to  go  to  London 
upon  his  own  horse.  When  I  came  to  this  house  I  inquired 
where  my  Lord  Wilmot  was,  it  being  now  towards  morning, 
and  having  travelled  these  two  nights  on  foot. 

"  Penderell's  brother  told  me  he  had  conducted  him  to 
a  very  honest  gentleman's  house,  one  Mr.  Pitchcroft,*  not 
far  from  Wolverhampton,  a  Roman  Catholic.  I  asked  him 
what  news.  He  told  me  that  there  was  one  Major  Careless 
in  the  house,  that  was  that  countryman  whom,  I  knowing, 
he  having  been  a  major  in  our  army,  and  made  his  escape 
thither,  a  Roman  Catholic  also,  I  sent  for  him  into  the 
room  where  I  was,  and  consulted  him  what  we  should 
do  the  next  day.  He  told  me  that  it  would  be  very  danger- 
ous for  me  to  stay  in  that  house  or  go  into  the  wood — there 
being  a  great  wood  hard  by  Boscobel ;  that  he  knew  but 
one  way  how  to  pass  the  next  day,  and  that  was  to  get 
up  into  a  great  oak,  in  a  pretty  plain  place,  where  we  might 
see  round  about  us ;  for  the  enemy  would  certainly  search  at 
the  wood  for  people  that  had  made  their  escape. 

*  Charles  mistook  the  name,  which  was  Whitgreave.  He  was  thinking 
of  the  field  called  Pitchcroft,  near  Worcester,  where  his  army  wa-; 
encamped  the  night  before  the  memorable  battle. — ED. 


86  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

"  Of  which  proposition  of  his,  I  approving,  we  (that  is 
to  say  Careless  and  I)  went,  and  carried  up  some  victuals 
for  the  whole  day;  viz.,  bread,  cheese,  small  beer,  and 
nothing  else,  and  got  up  into  a  great  oak,  that  had  been 
topped  some  three  or  four  years  before,  and  being  grown  out 
again  very  bushy  and  thick,  could  not  be  seen  through,  and 
here  we  stayed  all  the  day.  I  having  in  the  meantime  sent 
Penderell's  brother  to  Mr.  Pitchcroft's,  to  know  whether 
my  Lord  Wilmot  was  there  or  no ;  and  had  word  brought 
me  by  him  at  night  that  my  lord  was  there  ;  that  there  was 
a  very  secure  hiding-hole  in  Mr.  Pitchcroft's  house,  and  that 
he  desired  me  to  come  thither  to  him. 

"Memorandum. — That,  while  we  were  in  this  tree  we 
saw  soldiers  going  up  and  down  in  the  thicket  of  the  wood, 
searching  for  persons  escaped  \  we  saw  them  now  and  then 
peeping  out  of  the  wood. 

"  That  night  Richard  Penderell  and  I  went  to  Mr.  Pitch- 
croft's, about  six  or  seven  miles  off,  when  I  found  the 
gentleman  of  the  house,  and  an  old  grandmother  of  his,  and 
Father  Hurlston,  who  had  then  the  care,  as  governor,  of 
bringing  up  two  young  gentlemen,  who,  I  think,  were 
Sir  John  Preston  and  his  brother,  they  being  boys.  Here 
I  spoke  with  my  Lord  Wilmot,  and  sent  him  away  to 
Colonel  Lane's,  about  five  or  six  miles  off,  to  see  what 
means  could  be  found  for  my  escaping  towards  London ; 
who  told  my  lord,  after  some  consultation  thereon,  that 
he  had  a  sister  that  had  a  very  fair  pretence  of  going  hard 
by  Bristol,  to  a  cousin  of  hers,  that  was  married  to  one  Mr. 
Norton,  who  lived  two  or  three  miles  towards  Bristol,  on 
Somersetshire  side,  and  she  might  carry  me  there  as  her 
man,  and  from  Bristol  I  might  find  shipping  to  get  out 
of  England." 


CHARLES    II.  87 

After  various  adventures,  some  of  them  attended  \vi\h 
great  danger,  they  arrived  safely  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Norton, 
the  king  passing  as  the  servant  of  Mrs.  Lane.  The  next 
day  while  he  was  dining  with  the  servants,  one  of  them 
gave  so  accurate  a  description  of  the  battle  of  Worcester, 
that  Charles  took  him  to  be  a  soldier  of  Cromwell.  He 
turned  out,  however,  to  have  been  a  soldier  of  the  royal 
army,  and  one  of  the  regiment  of  guards.  "  I  asked  him 
what  kind  of  man  the  King  was,  and  he  gave  me  an  exact 
description  of  the  clothes  I  wore  at  the  battle,  and  of  the 
horse  I  rode,  adding  that  the  King  was  at  least  three  inches 
taller  than  I.  I  left  the  place  hastily,  being  much  alarmed 
to  find  that  the  man  had  been  one  of  my  own  soldiers." 
Charles  learnt  soon  after  that  Pope,  the  butler,  had 
recognised  him,  and  having  previously  heard  that  the  man 
was  honest,  and  incapable  of  treason,  he  thought  it  best 
to  confide  in  him,  and  accordingly  mentioned  his  real  name 
and  rank.  Pope  at  once  put  himself  under  his  orders,  and 
•was  of  the  greatest  service  to  him. 

Just  at  the  very  moment  when  the  King  was  setting  out 
for  the  house  of  one  of  his  partisans,  Mrs.  Norton  was  taken 
with  the  pains  of  labour,  and  as  she  was  cousin  to  Mrs. 
Lane,  whose  servant  Charles  pretended  to  be,  that  lady 
found  it  difficult  to  invent  a  pretext  for  quitting  her.  A 
letter  written  to  announce  that  Mrs.  Lane's  father  was 
dangerously  ill,  however,  answered  this  purpose,  and  the 
fugitives  set  out  for  the  house  of  Frank  Wyndham  at  Trent. 

When  they  arrived  there  the  bells  were  ringing  merry 
peals,  and  inquring  the  cause,  they  learned  that  one  of  the 
soldiers  of  Cromwell's  army  had  entered  the  town,  boast, 
ing  that  he  had  killed  the  King.  Wyndham,  however,  had 
provided  a  boat,  and  Charles,  accompanied  by  that  loyal 


88  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

gentleman  and  by  Lady  Coningsby,  went  to  a  place 
appointed  for  his  reception.  But  as  no  vessel  appeared,  he 
set  out  for  the  neighbouring  town.  On  arriving  there  he 
found  the  streets  filled  with  red  coats,  the  town  being  in 
possession  of  fifteen  hundred  of  Cromwell's  troops.  This 
sight  somewhat  alarmed  Wyndham,  "  and  he  asked  me," 
says  the  King,  "  what  we  should  now  do  ?  '  We  must  go 
boldly,'  I  said,  *  to  the  best  inn,  and  ask  for  the  best  room,' 
and  we  accordingly  did  so.  We  found  the  courtyard  of 
the  inn  full  of  soldiers,  and  as  soon  as  I  alighted,  I  thought 
it  would  be  best  to  walk  boldly  amongst  them,  and  to  take 
my  horses  to  the  stable.  I  did  this,  and  they  grew  very 
angry  at  my  rudeness."  When  he  arrived  in  the  stable, 
Charles  found  himself  confronted  by  a  new  danger.  The 
ostler  pretended  to  recognise  him  as  an  old  acquaintance 
whom  he  had  met  at  Exeter,  but  Charles  had  sufficient 
presence  of  mind  to  turn  this  to  his  own  account.  "  True," 
he  replied,  "  I  have  been  in  the  service  of  Mr.  Potter,  but 
I  am  just  now  in  a  great  hurry,  for  my  master  is  going 
straight  to  London ;  when  he  comes  back  we  will  renew 
the  acquaintance  over  a  mug  of  beer."  Shortly  afterwards 
the  King  and  his  suite  joined  Lord  Wilmot  outside  the 
city,  but  the  master  of  the  ship  they  had  hired,  yielding  to 
the  fears  of  his  wife,  refused  to  fulfil  his  engagement  with 
them ;  Charles  then  once  more  took  the  Trent  road. 

Another  vessel  which  had  been  procured  at  Southampton, 
had  been  seized  by  die  authorities  for  the  transport  of 
troops,  and  certain  mysterious  rumours  which  began  to 
circulate  in  the  neighbourhood,  made  it  dangerous  for 
the  King  to  stay  any  longer  with  Colonel  Wyndham,  at 
Salisbury  ;however,  he  found  an  asylum  where  he  remained 
for  five  days,  during  whic£  Colonel  Gunter  hired  a  boat  at 


CHARLES    II.  89 

New  Shoreham,  and  Charles  set  out  in  haste  for  Brighton. 
While  he  was  at  supper  there,  with  his  attendants  and  with 
Tattershall,  the  owner  of  the  boat,  the  latter  fixed  his  eyes, 
upon  the  King,  and  took  occasion  after  the  meal  to  draw 
one  of  the  royal  attendants  aside,  and  complain  of  his  having ) 
been  deceived.  "  The  gentleman  in  the  grey  dress  was  the 
King;  he  knew  him  well,  having  been  with  him  in  1648, 
when  he  was  Prince  of  Wales,  and  commanded  the  royal 
fleet"  This  information  was  promptly  conveyed  to  Charles, 
who  thought  it  the  more  prudent  course  to  keep  his  com- 
panions drinking  with  him  all  night,  in  order  to  make  sure 
of  their  holding  no  conversation  that  he  did  not  overhear. 

Just  before  their  departure,  and  while  he  was  alone  in  his 
room,  Tattershall  came  in,  and  kissing  his  hand,  which  was 
resting  on  the  back  of  a  chair,  said,  "  I  suppose,  if  I  live 
I  shall  be  a  lord,  and  my  wife  will  be  a  lady."  Charles 
laughed,  to  show  that  he  understood  him,  and  joined  the 
company  in  the  other  room.  At  four  in  the  morning  of  the 
1 6th  of  October  they  set  out  for  Shoreham.  When  Charles 
and  Wilmot,  his  sole  companion,  had  entered  the  vessel, 
Tattershall  fell  upon  his  knees  and  swore  to  the  King  that 
whatever  might  be  the  consequence  he  would  land  him  safe 
and  sound  on  the  coast  of  France. 

The  boat  made  for  the  Isle  of  Wight,  that  being  its 
ordinary  course ;  but  towards  six  o'clock  in  the  evening, 
Charles,  having  previously  arranged  the  matter  with  Tatter- 
shall, addressed  the  crew.  He  told  them  that  his  companion 
and  himself  were  merchants,  who  were  running  away  from 
their  creditors,  and  asked  them  to  join  him  in  begging  the 
captain  to  take  them  to  France,  backing  his  entreaties,  at 
the  same  time,  with  a  present  of  twenty  shillings  for  drink. 
Tattershall  raised  a  great  many  objections;  but  at  last,  with 


90  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

apparent  repugnance,  he  turned  the  vessel's  head  towards 
France.  At  daybreak  they  sighted  the  city  of  Fecamp.  At 
the  same  time  they  discovered  a  suspicious-looking  sail, 
which  they  took  for  an  Ostend  pirate.  Without  waiting  to 
test  the  truth  of  their  suspicions,  the  two  fugitives  took  to 
the  ship's  boat  and  arrived  safely  in  port.  (Guizot:  Me- 
moirs of  Charles  the  Second;  Lingard:  History  of  England?) 


BLANCHE  GAMOND, 
1687. 

BLANCHE  GAMOND  belonged  to  a  Protestant  family  of 
Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux.  After  the  revocation  of  the 
Edict  of  Nantes,  when  the  Protestants  were  subjected  to 
the  most  rigorous  persecution,  Mademoiselle  Gamond, 
whose  piety  was  of  the  most  fervent  and  exalted  kind,  re- 
solved to  fly  the  kingdom.  The  city  of  Saint-Paul  was 
closely  invested,  and  the  dragoons  overran  all  the  neigh- 
bouring country  in  search  of  the  Protestants.  Blanche  left 
the  city  and  wandered  about  for  some  time  alone,  and  after- 
wards with  her  parents,  who  had  joined  her.  At  times  they 
were  exposed  to  all  the  hardships  of  forest  life,  and  it  was 
only  at  intervals  that  they  could  venture  to  show  themselves 
in  towns.  In  this  manner  they  travelled  through  the  greater 
part  of  Dauphine ;  but  they  were  obliged  to  separate  at  last, 
to  escape  the  more  easily  from  the  dragoons;  and  our 
poor  heroine  was  about  to  pass  the  frontier  with  her  brother 
and  her  mother  and  sister,  when  she  was  taken  near  Gon- 
celin.  Her  brother  escaped  from  the  soldiers,  but  her 
mother  and  her  sister  were  brutally  ill-treated  by  these 
wretches,  and  were  taken  to  Grenoble  and  thrown  into 
a  horrible  dungeon.  Blanche  Gamond  was  then  twenty-one 


BLANCHE    GAMOND.  91 

years  of  age.  She  was  subjected  for  a  long  time  to  the 
most  terrible  tortures;  but  insulted,  mercilessly  beaten, 
dying  of  hunger,  and  sinking  under  a  lingering  illness, 
as  she  was,  she  bore  all  with  the  courage  and  the  resigna- 
tion of  a  martyr. 

The  following  is  her  account  of  her  attempt  at  escape,  the 
consequences  of  which  were  most  disastrous  to  her  : — 

"  We  were  told  to  get  ourselves  ready  in  three  days  for 
a  voyage  to  America ;  '  and  when,'  it  was  added,  '  you  are 
once  on  shipboard  you  will  be  made  to  walk  the  plank, 
and  will  be  thrust  into  the  sea,  so  that  the  detested  race  of 
the  Huguenots  may  perish  with  you.' 

" '  It  concerns  me  little,'  I  replied,  'whether  my  body  be 
eaten  by  the  fish  in  the  sea  or  by  the  worms  in  the  earth.' 

"When  they  had  left  us  alone,  Susan  de  Montelimart. 
said,  '  We  might  make  our  escape  by  this  window  if  we 
could  only  break  the  bars.' 

"  '  We  are  at  such  a  height  from  the  ground,'  I  replied, 
'  that  we  should  either  kill  or  lame  ourselves  ;  and  then  we 
should  only  be  recaptured  and  treated  worse  than  before. 
If  that  should  happen,  I  could  never  survive  my  sufferings. 
I  prefer  death,  therefore,  and  will  rather  set  out  for  America. 
God  will  deliver  us,  as  he  delivered  the  victims  of  La  Rapine.'" 

La  Rapine,  or  D'Herapine,  who  had  been  formerly  con- 
demned for  robbery,  under  his  real  name  of  Guichard,  had 
become  director  of  the  hospital  of  Valence,  where  he  was 
told  to  employ  all  the  means  in  his  power  for  the  conversion 
of  the  Protestants — a  commission  which  he  executed  with 
all  the  cynicism  and  the  ferocity  of  one  of  the  worst  of 
'  scoundrels. 

"  Susan  replied,  '  If  they  had  done  to  me  what  they  have 
done  to  you  I  should  have  died  ere  this ;  but  they  are  killing 


g 2  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES 

us  of  hunger;  and,  besides,  they  are  going  to  take  us  to 
America,  and  we  shall  be  half  dead  when  they  throw  us  in 
the  sea.  We  might  get  out  of  this  window.  We  seem  to 
be  despising  the  means  which  God  has  placed  within  our 
reach ;  but,  for  my  part,  I  mean  to  attempt  to  use  them.' 

"  At  length,  by  her  persuasion,  I  joined  her  in  cutting  a 
piece  of  cloth  into  shreds,  and  sewing  it  together  ;  and  when 
we  had  made  a  long  band  in  this  manner  we  tied  a  piece  of 
stone  to  the  end  of  it  and  lowered  it,  to  ascertain  the  height 
of  the  window  from  the  ground.  We  were  on  the  fourth 
storey,  and  we  found  that  our  band  was  too  short ;  but  we 
lengthened  it,  and  finally  the  end  touched  the  ground.  I 
then  put  my  head  out  of  the  window  and  said  to  my  dear 
sisters,  '  Alas  !  we  shall  kill  ourselves,  for  it  almost  frightens 
me  to  death  to  look  down.' 

"  That  same  evening,  when  our  guards  were  asleep,  we 
crept  to  the  window  with  bare  feet,  for  we  were  afraid  that 
the  priest,  whose  chamber  was  beneath  ours,  would  hear  our 
footsteps.  Susan  was  the  first  to  get  out,  and  she  was 
followed  by  Mademoiselle  Terrasson  de  Die,  then  by  me 
and  by  Mademoiselle  Anne  Dumas,  of  La  Salle,  in  Langue- 
doc.  When  I  got  outside  and  began  to  lay  hold  of  the 
band,  my  strength  failed  me,  and  I  heard  the  bones  of  my 
arm  crack.  My  dress  caught  in  a  hook  outside  the  window, 
and  I  was  obliged  to  support  myself  with  one  arm  while  I 
disengaged  myself  with  the  other.  I  no  longer  felt  either 
strength  or  courage,  and  I  cried,  '  Lord  Jesus,  receive  my 
spirit!'  But  I  seized  the  band  with  my  teeth,  and  joining 
my  two  hands  over  it,  I  fell,  rather  than  lowered  myself, 
to  the  ground,  striking  against  the  stones  with  such  violence 
that  I  cried,  '  Mercy  !  My  God,  I  am  either  killed  or 
maimed  for  life  ! ' 


I  was  obliged  to  support  myself  with  one  arm. 


BLANCHE   GAMOND.  93 

"  The  dear  sisters  who  were  waiting  for  me  ran  up  to  me 
and  asked  me  where  I  was  hurt. 

"  '  Everywhere,'  I  replied ;  '  I  am  sure  that  I  have  broken 
my  thigh/  and  I  begged  of  them  to  tie  it  up  for  me  with  my 
apron.  I  then  limped  away,  my  two  sisters  supporting 
me  on  either  side.  I  made  sixty  or  seventy  steps  in  great 
pain,  and  reached  the  gate  of  the  Faubourg  de  Valence : 
but  it  was  closed.  They  helped  me  to  get  upon  the  wall, 
but  when  I  stood  upon  the  top  of  it,  and  saw  how  high 
it  was,  I  said  to  my  three  dear  sisters,  '  This  is  a  second 
precipice,  and  I  am  not  brave  enough  to  attempt  to  descend. 
Leave  me  and  go  alone.' 

"  They  let  me  down  from  the  wall  and  left  me  there,  and 
then  they  tried  to  get  down  themselves,  and  succeeded 
after  great  trouble.  When  they  had  reached  the  other  side, 
Mademoiselle  Dumas  cried  out  to  me,  '  We  are  going.  We 
are  very  sorry  to  leave  you  behind.  God  preserve  you  from 
our  enemies.  I  wish  you  prosperity,  and  give  you  my 
blessing,  and  I  beg  of  you  to  give  me  yours  in  return.' 

"  '  Who  am  I,'  I  replied,  '  to  give  you  my  blessing  ?  but 
I  pray  that  God  will  give  you  his.  I  pray  fervently  that 
he  will  lead  you  in  all  his  ways ;  and  I  conjure  you  to 
leave  this  place  as  quickly  as  you  can,  or  all  of  us  may  be 
recaptured.' 

"  I  was  thus  left  quite  alone,  still  suffering  the  cruel  and 
violent  pains  which  had  never  left  me  from  the  moment  of 
my  fall.  It  was  not  yet  daybreak,  and  I  lifted  up  my 
heart  to  God.  But  I  fainted  in  the  midst  of  my  prayer, 
and  did  not  come  to  myself  for,  at  least,  a  quarter  of  an 
hour.  I  had  no  one  to  console  me,  or  even  to  offer  me  a 
single  drop  of  water ;  but  as  soon  as  I  came  to  myself  I 
cried  out,  '  Lord,  do  not  abandon  me.'  I  lay  for  a  time 


94  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

without  being  able  to  make  any  movement,  and  then  I 
thought  that  at  daybreak  they  would  be  sure  to  find  me, 
and  then  I  should  be  recaptured  and  taken  to  the  hospice. 
'  O  God,'  I  prayed,  '  grant  me  this  mercy  that  this  day  may 
see  the  last  of  my  troubles,  for  death  is  better  than  life.  I 
have  lived  enough.  Take  my  soul  to  thee,  O  God.  Oh 
grant,  if  it  please  thee,  that  I  may  be  taken  to  the  tomb, 
and  not  to  the  hospice  this  day.' 

"  Day  then  began  to  break.  I  had  not  enough  strength 
to  raise  myself,  so  that  those  who  passed  by  did  not  know 
that  I  was  lamed.  I  was  only  just  able  to  hide  my  face 
from  them  by  covering  it  with  my  tappeta.  I  was  inter- 
rupted during  my  prayers  by  the  agony  which  I  suffered 
from  my  broken  thigh  and  dislocated  ankle.  After  a  time 
a  gentleman  came  by,  and  said,  '  It  would  be  better,  made- 
moiselle, for  you  to  be  at  your  own  house  than  to  remain 
here,  and  it  would  certainly  be  more  becoming.' 

" '  If  you  knew  who  I  was,  sir,'  I  replied,  '  you  would 
not  address  me  in  such  language.' 

"In  another  moment  they  opened  the  gate  of  the  Faubourg 
and  the  passers-by  said  very  hard  and  cruel  things  about 
me,  seeing  me  lying  at  full  length  in  the  road  so  early  in  the 
morning." 

She  begged  one  of  them  to  fetch  Mademoiselle  Mar- 
siliere,  a  Protestant  converted  to  Catholicism,  whom  she 
knew,  and  she  prayed  God  that  this  early  friend  might  turn 
out  a  good  Samaritan,  but  this  prayer  was  not  heard. 

"Are  you  asking  for  me?"  said  Mademoiselle  Marsiliere, 
when  she  approached  the  poor  wounded  creature.  "  Yes, 
mademoiselle;  save  me — for  mercy's  sake  help  me.  Take 
me  to  some  place  where  I  may  die,  so  that  no  one  may 
witness  my  sufferings." 


BLANCHE   GAMOND.  95 

"  But  Mademoiselle  Marsiliere  replied  that  I  should 
endanger  her  safety  as  well  as  my  own.  '  I  must  go,'  she 
said,  '  before  any  one  sees  me,  or  I  shall  be  put  in  prison 
myself.' 

"  I  was  wounded  to  the  heart  at  this  treatment  from  a 
co-religionist,  and  I  asked  her  if  she  had  the  courage  to 
leave  me  in  this  condition.  *  Help  me,  at  least,'  I  said,  '  to 
crawl  behind  this  wall,  so  that  I  may  not  be  seen  by  the 
passers-by." 

But  neither  the  prayers  nor  the  sufferings  of  the  un- 
fortunate Blanche  had  the  least  effect  on  the  prudent  and 
charitable  person  whom  she  had  called  to  her  aid.  Made- 
moiselle Marsiliere  went  away,  but  returned  shortly  after- 
wards with  the  almoner  of  the  religious  house  of  which  she 
was  a  member,  who,  without  paying  the  least  regard  to  the 
distressed  condition  of  the  wounded  girl,  began  to  address 
to  her  a  series  of  questions  about  her  escape  and  her 
accomplices.  At  length  two  men,  seizing  her  by  the 
shoulders  and  the  feet,  carried  her  to  the  hospice  and  laid 
her  down  upon  the  stones  in  the  courtyard. 

It  is  impossible  to  enter  fully  here  into  all  the  details  of 
the  rigorous  punishment  endured  by  the  poor  girl  for  some 
months  after  this.  She  bore  all  with  her  ordinary  courage 
and  patience,  but  the  mere  recital  of  such  atrocities  would 
rive  too  much  pain  to  the  most  unfeeling  heart 

She  was  at  last  allowed  to  return  to  her  parents,  and  she 
recovered  her  health  after  her  long  sufferings,  and  retired 
to  Switzerland  with  her  family. 


96  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

JEAN  BART  AND  THE  CHEVALIER  DE  FORBIN. 

1689. 

JEAN  BART  escorting  a  fleet  of  twenty  merchantmen,  had 
hoisted  his  flag  on  board  the  frigate  La  Raileuse,  of  twenty- 
eight  guns,  having  for  second  in  command  under  him  the 
Chevalier  de  Forbin,  captain  of  Les  Jeux,  a  frigate  of  twenty- 
four.  They  were  attacked  by  two  English  ships,  one  of 
forty-eight,  and  the  other  of  forty -two  guns,  and  they  nobly 
sacrificed  themselves  to  save  the  merchant  fleet  Jean  Bart 
lost  nearly  all  his  men  and  was  slightly  wounded  in  the  head, 
but  Forbin  was  still  more  unfortunate,  for  he  received  six 
wounds,  and  nearly  all  of  his  crew  perished.  They  were 
compelled  to  surrender,  but  the  fleet  of  merchantmen  was 
saved,  while  all  the  English  officers  and  a  great  number  of 
the  common  seamen  were  killed. 

They  were  taken  to  Portsmouth,  where  they  of  course 
expected  to  be  treated  as  prisoners  of  war  on  parole,  but 
the  governor  of  the  fortress  would  not  even  grant  them  this 
scanty  honour.  They  were  shut  up  in  a  sort  of  inn  with 
barred  windows,  and  sentinels  were  placed  before  their 
door.  This  wretched  treatment  naturally  made  them 
anxious  to  escape,  and  they  did  not  even  wait  until  their 
wounds  were  cured  before  they  began  to  form  their  plans. 
An  Ostend  fisherman,  a  relation  of  Jean  Bart — as  some 
say,  Caspar  Bart,  his  brother — having  put  in  to  Portsmouth, 
found  means  to  gain  admission  to  the  prison,  and  to  confer 
with  his  two  friends  on  the  project  which  occupied  all  their 
thoughts.  On  one  of  his  visits  he  left  a  file  behind  him, 
with  which  they  cut  the  bars  before  their  windows,  hiding 
the  marks  by  covering  them  with  pieces  of  moistened  bread 
and  soot 


JEAN    BART   AND   THE   CHEVALIER   DE    FORB1N.  97 

It  happened  fortunately  that  the  surgeon  sent  to  attend 
them  was  a  Fleming,  himself  a  prisoner,  and  equally  de- 
sirous with  his  two  patients  of  recovering  his  liberty.  In 
due  time  too,  the  men  who  had  been  appointed  to  wait  on 
them  were  gained  over  by  a  liberal  present,  and  by  still 
more  liberal  promises.  The  great  difficulty  was  to  find 
means  of  putting  to  sea ;  but  the  attendants  who  alone  had 
power  to  leave  the  prison  undertook  to  make  the  necessary 
arrangements  for  the  embarkation.  They  accordingly 
hailed  one  day  a  Norwegian  shallop,  the  master  of  which 
was  at  the  time  lying  in  a  drunken  sleep  in  his  cabin.  He 
was  quietly  transferred  from  his  own  vessel  to  another; 
and  this  was  no  sooner  done  than  the  two  attendants  ran 
to  tell  the  prisoners  to  prepare  for  instant  flight. 

As  soon  as  the  surgeon  came  to  pay  his  accustomed  visit, 
he  was  told  to  give  the  Ostend  fishermen  notice  to  take 
everything  necessary  for  a  voyage  of  some  days  on  board 
the  Norwegian  vessel.  He  lost  no  time  in  executing  his 
commission,  and  the  sloop  was  soon  amply  supplied  with 
bread,  cheese,  beer,  and  other  necessaries.  It  was  then 
arranged  that  the  surgeon  should  return  at  midnight  with 
the  fisherman  and  the  two  attendants,  and  as  soon  as  he  ar- 
rived beneath  the  prison  window  should  signal  his  presence 
by  throwing  a  small  stone  against  the  panes. 

The  signal  was  heard  at  the  appointed  hour.  Jean  Bart  re- 
moved the  bars  in  front  of  his  window,  fastened  his  bedclothes 
end  to  end,  and  sliding  down  the  band,  reached  the  ground 
in  safety.  The  surgeon,  the  fisherman,  and  the  two  atten- 
dants led  them  at  once  to  a  little  creek  in  which  the  vessel 
was  moored,  and  they  all  embaiked  with  the  exception  of 
the  fisherman,  who  went  quietly  back  to  his  own  ship.  In 
leaving  Plymouth  the  fugiiiveu  had  a  narrow  escape.  They 

H 


98  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

were  seen  by  the  look-out  on  the  guard  ship,  and  hailed  with 
the  customary  "  Who  goes  there  ?  "  By  great  good  fortune 
Jean  Bart  knew  a  little  English,  and  he  replied,  "  Fisher- 
men." They  were  then  suffered  to  pass. 

The  poor  lieutenant  had  not  been  able  to  followhis  captain. 
He  had  lost  an  arm ;  he  was  very  corpulent ;  and  as  he 
could  not  have  rendered  the  least  assistance  during  the 
voyage,  his  presence  would  only  have  tended  to  compromise 
the  safety  of  his  friends.  He  took,  therefore,  the  heroic  reso- 
lution of  remaining  in  prison,  and  of  assisting  the  fugitives 
by  keeping  the  guard  amused  while  they  were  running 
away.  He  continued  this  subterfuge  after  Jean  Bart  had 
left  the  house,  and  pretended  to  be  conversing  with  him  in 
his  room,  until  long  after  he  had  had  time  to  effect  his  em- 
barkation in  safety.  He  then  drew  in  the  sheets  which  had 
served  his  commander  as  a  rope,  and  quietly  went  to  bed. 
He  affected  great  surprise  next  day  when  he  was  informed 
of  the  escape  of  his  fellow-prisoners,  pretending  to  believe 
they  had  basely  abandoned  him,  and  cursing  them  very 
heartily  in  both  English  and  French. 

His  gaolers  were  deceived  by  this  ruse,  and  put  several 
questions  to  him  as  to  the  conversations  with  his  com- 
mander, in  the  hope  of  ascertaining  the  direction  the 
fugitives  had  taken.  "  These  traitors,"  he  replied,  "  have 
told  me  nothing ;  all  that  I  know  is  that  Bart  lately  had  a 
pair  of  shoes  made,  and  that  he  remarked  when  he  tried 
them  on,  how  useful  they  would  be  to  any  one  who  had  to 
take  a  long  walk."  This  completely  deceived  them,  and 
they  sent  horse  soldiers  out  in  all  directions  in  the  hope  of 
recapturing  the  fugitives,  who  were  then  in  the  middle  of  the 
Channel. 

Jean  Bart  at  length  sighted  the  coast  of  Brittany,  and  dis- 


DUGUAY-TROUIN.  99 

embarked  at  a  sm?ll  village  a  few  leagues  from  St.  Malo. 
The  journey  from  Plymouth  had  occupied  forty-eight  hours, 
and,  this  time  included,  he  had  not  been  in  captivity  more 
than  eleven  days.  The  party  were  received  with  transports  of 
joy,  for  the  merchantmen  whom  they  had  saved  had  spoken 
in  the  highest  terms  of  their  courage,  but  it  was  thought 
their  patriotic  devotion  had  cost  them  their  lives.  Jean 
Bart's  first  care  was  to  indemnify  the  Ostend  fisherman 
whom  the  English  had  made  responsible  for  his  flight,  and 
his  next  to  purchase  the  liberty  of  his  brave  lieutenant,  who 
was  released  a  month  after  the  escape  of  his  commander. 


DUGUA  Y-TROUIN. 
1694. 

DUGUAY-TROUIN,  commanding  the  frigate  La  Diligent^  of 
forty  guns,  was  driven  by  a  storm  into  the  midst  of  a 
squadron  of  six  English  vessels,  of  from  fifty  to  seventy  guns 
each.  After  fighting  five  of  them  for  several  hours,  and 
refusing  to  surrender,  notwithstanding  the  urgent  solicita- 
tions of  his  officers,  he  was  struck  by  a  spent  shot,  and 
rendered  insensible.  When  he  came  to  himself  he  was  a 
prisoner  in  the  hands  of  the  English.  He  was  at  first  sent 
to  Plymouth  ;  and  he  had  already  begun  to  make  prepara- 
tions for  his  escape,  when  orders  were  given  that  his  con- 
finement should  be  made  more  rigorous.  The  captain  of  a 
company  on  guard  at  the  prison  had  fallen  in  love  with  a 
young  woman  of  Plymouth,  and  had  confided  his  passion  to 
Duguay-Trouin,  who  had  promised  to  use  all  his  influence 
to  induce  the  fair  one  to  consent  to  marriage.  He  took 
advantage  of  the  comparative  freedom  which  he  enjoyed 

H   2 


100  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

through  his  good  offices  on  the  captain's  behalf,  to  come  to 
a  good  understanding  with  the  lady  on  his  own  account ; 
and  he  was  enabled  by  her  aid  to  make  arrangements  with 
a  Swedish  captain  for  the  hire  of  a  vessel,  properly  pro- 
visioned and  manned,  for  his  intended  flight.  While  the 
captain  thought  that  Dugnay-Trouin  was  pleading  for 
him  with  the  lady  in  a  neighbouring  inn,  to  which  he  had 
been  permitted  to  extend  his  walks,  the  commander  was 
leaping  over  the  wall  of  the  garden,  with  another  officer  who 
was  to  join  him  in  trying  to  escape.  The  Swedish  captain 
and  six  sailors  were  waiting  for  them  at  a  neighbouring 
spot,  and  they  all  reached  the  little  vessel  in  safety. 

"We  embarked,"  he  says  in  his  "  Memoirs,"  " at  about 
six  in  the  evening.  We  had  scarcely  started  when  we  ran 
almost  between  two  English  vessels,  and  were  obliged  to 
answer  their  inquiries  as  to  our  destination.  We  told  them 
we  were  fishermen  putting  out  to  sea,  and  they  allowed  us 
to  pass.  At  daybreak  we  came  upon  another  English  ship 
making  for  Plymouth.  She  was  going  to  turn  in  pursuit  of 
us,  although  we  did  not  lie  in  her  route,  and  we  should  cer- 
tainly have  been  taken  but  for  a  sudden  gust  of  wind,  which 
carried  us  away  from  her  almost  without  any  effort  of  our 
own. 

"  We  had  been  rowing  all  the  time,  and  we  were  very 
tired  when  we  reached  the  open  sea.  We  relieved  one 
another  at  nightfall,  and  the  master  of  the  vessel  and  I  tried 
to  make  out  our  way  with  the  aid  of  a  small  compass, 
illumined  by  the  feeble  rays  of  a  lantern.  While  thus 
engaged  I  was  so  overpowered  with  fatigue  that  I  fell 
asleep ;  but  I  was  soon  awakened  by  the  noise  of  a  terrible 
gust  of  wind,  which  threw  the  little  vessel  on  her  side,  and 
filled  her  with  water  in  an  instant.  By  a  quick  move- 


THE  ABBE  COUNT  DE  BUCQUOY.          IOI 

ment  of  the  helm  I  was  fortunate  enough  to  avoid  the 
threatened  shipwreck — a  disaster  that  must  have  proved 
fatal,  as  we  were  more  than  fifteen  leagues  from  land.  My 
companions,  who  were  also  asleep,  were  quite  as  suddenly 
awakened  as  myself  by  the  waves  beating  about  their  heads. 
Our  biscuit  and  our  beer  were  quite  spoiled  by  the  sea- 
water,  and  it  took  us  a  long  while  to  bale  out  the  water 
with  our  hats.  At  about  eight  o'clock  on  the  following  day 
we  landed  at  a  spot  two  leagues  from  Treguier,  on  the  coast 
of  Brittany." 


THE  ABBE   COUNT  DE  BUCQUOY. 
1700-1702. 

THE  Count  de  Bucquoy,  who  was  originally  an  officer  in 
the  army,  had  become,  under  the  combined  influence  of  the 
Jesuits  and  the  monks  of  La  Trappe,  a  religious  enthusiast, 
but  had  afterwards  quarrelled  with  his  priestly  friends.  He 
was  of  an  active  mind,  and,  if  we  may  believe  his  own 
account  of  himself,  he  was  too  much  addicted  to  the  ad- 
vocacy of  advanced  ideas.  This,  and  his  hostility  to 
Louis  XJV.,  caused  him  to  be  arrested  at  Sens,  on  a  charge 
of  having  been  heard  to  mutter  disaffection  at  an  inn. 
While  he  was  being  taken  to  Paris  he  tried  to  escape,  but 
without  success ;  and  his  account  of  the  attempt  shows  that 
he  did  not  then  possess  the  skill  in  conducting  that  class  of 
enterprises  which  he  afterwards  acquired. 

He  was  sent  to  For-1'Eveque ;  and  from  the  very  first  day 
of  his  imprisonment  he  began  to  consider  how  he  could 
recover  his  liberty.  He  remembered  that  one  of  the  body- 
guard, who  had  been  imprisoned  in  the  same  place,  had 


102  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

nearly  made  his  escape  through  a  window  of  a  loft,  which 
looked  out  upon  one  of  the  quays,  then  called  the  Valley  of 
Misery,  and  that  he  had  failed,  owing  solely  to  his  terror  at 
the  sight  of  the  precipice  on  which  his  prison  was  built 

Bucquoy,  however,  made  up  his  mind  to  repeat  this  at- 
tempt He  tried  at  first  to  form  a  clear  idea  of  the  plan  of 
this  terrible  place.  He  discovered  that  the  loft  in  question 
served  as  a  kind  of  antechamber  to  his  small  cell,  and  that 
it  was,  at  the  same  time,  the  lumber-room  of  the  prison. 
Wishing  to  make  sure  of  everything  before  risking  his  life, 
he  one  day  pretended  to  be  ill,  and  asked  to  be  led  upstairs 
to  breathe  the  air  at  a  small  window  which  over-looked 
that  part  of  the  building.  The  height  from  the  quay  v.as 
appalling;  and,  in  addition  to  that,  every  one  of  the  nu- 
merous window-gratings  to  which  he  would  have  to  cling  in 
making  his  descent  was  covered  with  short,  sharp  spikes. 
The  sight  was  enough  to  strike  terror  into  the  stoutest  heart. 

When  he  had  once  more  been  locked  up  in  his  cell,  he, 
however,  confirmed  himself  in  his  resolution  to  escape 
through  the  loft.  All  that  was  necessary  was  to  find  means 
to  leave  the  cell  unobserved,  and  to  reach  a  certain  part  of 
the  antechamber. 

To  get  out  without  the  consent  of  the  gaoler,  he  would 
have  had  to  break  the  door  down  ;  but  he  soon  saw  that  it 
would  be  impossible  to  do  this,  as  he  was  wholly  unprepared 
with  tools,  and  as  the  noise  of  his  operations  would  be 
certain  to  alarm  his  guards.  It  occurred  to  him,  however, 
that  he  might  burn  away  the  door ;  and  with  this  view  he 
obtained  permission  to  cook  for  himself  in  his  own  cell.  He 
asked  for  a  few  eggs  and  some  charcoal,  and  paid  liberally 
for  both,  in  order  the  more  readily  to  induce  the  gaoler 
to  supply  them.  All  being  ready,  and  the  whole  house- 


THE  ABBE  COUNT  DE  BUCQUOY.          IOJ 

hold  asleep,  he  placed  the  brasier  close  to  the  door  and 
fanned  the  flame  until  it  ignited  the  ponderous  timbers. 
When  he  had  by  this  means  burnt  a  hole  large  enough  to 
admit  his  body,  he  passed  through,  first  taking  care  to  ex- 
tinguish the  flames,  as  it  was  not  his  wish  to  destroy  the 
building.  In  this  operation  he  was  nearly  suffocated  by  the 
smoke  from  the  smouldering  beams.  He  was  without  a 
rope  to  tie  to  the  window  of  the  loft,  but  he  made  a  substitute 
for  it  by  binding  together  a  number  of  strips  of  webbing  cut 
from  a  mattrass  which  he  found  among  the  furniture.  He 
then  fastened  this  band  to  a  bedstead,  which  he  dragged  to 
the  windowf  and,  gliding  gently  down,  was  fortunate  enough 
to  pass  the  windows  without  receiving  any  fatal  injury  from 
the  spikes,  and  to  reach  the  quay.  It  was  daybreak,  and 
the  market  people  opening  their  shops  did  not  fail  to 
observe  him,  all  torn  and  bloody  as  he  was,  for  many  of  the 
spikes  had  entered  his  flesh.  But  a  greater  danger  threat- 
ened him,  in  the  unwelcome  attentions  of  a  number  of 
young  men,  who  had  only  just  risen  from  supper,  and  who 
chased  him  through  the  streets  with  drunken  cries.  A 
timely  shower  of  rain,  however,  dispersed  them,  and  he 
was  saved. 

In  trying  to  avoid  them  he  made  many  turns  and  doubles, 
and  at  last  found  himself  at  the  door  of  a  cafe,  near  the 
Temple,  which  he  entered  for  the  purpose  of  making  some 
slight  changes  in  his  appearance,  in  case  he  should  meet 
his  tormentors  again.  His  dress,  however,  began  to  excite 
remark  among  the  customers,  and  fearing  he  was  already 
known,  he  hastily  paid  his  reckoning,  and  went  out  without 
knowing  what  direction  to  take.  He  at  last  took  refuge  at 
the  house  of  a  relation  of  one  of  his  servants,  to  whom  he 
told  a  plausible  story  to  excuse  the  negligence  of  his  attire. 


104  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

The  woman  fetched  him  some  food  a-t  his  request,  but  feel- 
ing he  could  not  confide  in  her  discretion,  he  soon  left  the 
house  to  seek  a  more  secure  asylum. 

After  spending  some  nine  months  in  sending  petition  after 
petition  from  his  various  hiding-places,  he  tried  to  leave  the 
kingdom,  but  choosing  his  time  badly,  was  arrested  at  La  Fere 
and  sent  to  prison.  He  made  two  attempts  to  escape,  and 
failed  only  by  a  hair's  breadth  in  the  second,  having  scaled 
a  wall  and  swum  across  a  ditch  before  he  was  discovered. 
He'  was  at  length  taken  back  to  Paris,  and  imprisoned  in 
the  Bastille. 

To  enter  the  Bastille  was  almost  to  abandon  hope,  for 
escape  seemed  impossible.  But  even  while  he  was  pass- 
ing the  gates  of  the  prison,  Bucquoy  was  reconnoitering  it 
to  find  means  to  effect  his  escape.  He  took  particular 
notice  of  the  drawbridge  and  the  counterscarp,  but  he 
was  not  allowed  much  time  for  his  observations;  for  he  was 
at  once  hurried  away  to  the  Bretigniere  tower. 

After  passing  a  few  days  in  one  of  the  lowest  dungeons  of 
this  tower,  he  was  placed  in  a  cell,  shared  by  a  number  ot 
prisoners  in  common.  He  proposed  that  they  should  make 
a  joint  effort  to  recover  their  liberty,  but  he  was  denounced 
by  one  of  their  number,  an  abbe.  He  was  then  once  more 
shut  up  in  his  dungeon.  He  was  suffered  to  leave  it,  how- 
ever, on  feigning  to  be  ill  and  at  the  point  of  death.  He 
was  believed  to  be  paralytic,  and  as  it  was  thought  there 
was  no  further  danger  of  his  attempting  to  carry  out  his 
plans,  he  was  once  more  sent  to  the  common  room.  In 
course  .of  time  he  had  made  the  circuit  of  nearly  all  the 
towers  of  the  building,  never  failing  to  study  the  plan  of 
each  of  them  attentively ;  and  he  was  at  length  sent  to  the 
Bertaudiere,  where  he  had  for  companion  a  German  baron, 


THE   ABBE   COUNT   DE    BUCQUOY.  105 

whom  he  undertook  to  convert  from  the  Lutheran  faith,  and 
whom  he  persuaded  to  aid  him  in  his  attempt  to  escape. 
They  had  already  commenced  operations  on  an  old  window 
which  had  long  been  closed  up,  when  they  were  betrayed 
by  another  prisoner.  Bucquoy  was  adroit  enough  to  ex- 
culpate himself,  and  to  throw  the  blame  upon  his  betrayer, 
but  he  was  removed  to  a  cell  in  the  tower,  La  Liberte, 
together  with  the  baron,  whose  conversion  he  represented 
was  not  quite  complete. 

They  then  began  to  renew  their  preparations,  this  time  with 
the  view  of  reaching  the  ditch  of  the  Porte  Saint  Antoine. 
They  made  a  hole  in  the  wall  by  means  of  certain  jagged 
pieces  of  iron  and  brass,  old  nails  and  knife-blades,  which 
the  abbe  had  carefully  collected  in  the  course  of  his  long 
sojourn  in  the  prison ;  and  which,  by  the  aid  of  the  fire  in 
the  room,  they  fashioned  into  tools.  At  the  same  time  they 
began  to  make  a  ladder,  using  for  this  purpose  the  strips 
of  osier  in  which  their  wine  bottles  were  enveloped,  and 
telling  the  gaoler  they  were  collecting  them  to  serve  as  fuel 
A  hole  which  they  had  scooped  out  under  the  flooring  of 
their  cell  served  to  conceal  all  these  things. 

Working  steadily  every  day,  and  never  losing  sight  of  their 
design,  they  contrived  in  a  short  time  to  make  a  tolerable 
ladder.  All  was  now  nearly  ready,  and  they  were  on  the 
very  point  of  making  their  attempt,  when  on  visiting  their 
subterranean  cupboard  one  day,  it  gave  way  beneath  them, 
and  precipitated  them  into  a  room  on  the  floor  below  occu- 
pied by  a  Jesuit.  The  poor  man's  mind  was  ill  at  ease,  and 
this  terrible  accident  made  him  quite  mad.  The  abbe  was 
taken  back  to  his  cell  by  a  gaoler,  but  he  was  not  allowed 
to  remain  there  long,  and  he  was  thus  doomed  to  lose  almost 
in  a  moment  the  fruits  of  long  months  of  most  trying  exertion. 


106  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

He  found  means,  however,  to  get  rid  of  his  German  baron, 
who  was  no  further  use  to  him,  as  he  could  not  be  persuaded 
to  embark  in  another  attempt  But  the  baron  had  abjured 
his  religion,  and  this  gained  the  abbe  such  a  reputation  as  a 
converter  of  heretics,  that  he  was  sent  to  attempt  the  re- 
formation of  a  certain  Protestant,  named  Grandville,  who 
was  considered  a  very  excellent  boon  companion  by  his 
fellow  prisoners,  and  who  was  known  to  be  most  anxious  to 
make  his  escape. 

Two  other  prisoners  were  placed  in  the  same  cell  with 
them,  and  the  abbe-  soon  found  means  to  come  to  an  under- 
standing with  all  his  companions  in  misfortune.  After  he 
had  bound  them  to  him  by  the  most  solemn  oaths,  he  in- 
formed them  that  he  had  a  small  file  concealed  in  his 
clothes,  which  had  hitherto  escaped  the  closest  search,  and 
he  proposed  that  they  should  cut  through  the  bars  of  their 
windows  with  it,  and  make  their  way  into  the  courtyard. 
He  had  managed  to  keep  some  pieces  of  osier  that  he  and 
the  German  had  plaited,  and  by  the  aid  of  his  new  con- 
federates, he  soon  added  largely  to  his  store.  They 
laboured  together  like  the  workmen  of  the  tower  of  Babel, 
for  they  were  almost  as  much  hindered  by  differences  of 
opinion,  as  the  others  were  by  differences  of  speech.  At 
last  they  made  up  their  minds  to  take  the  only  course 
possible  to  them  :  viz.  to  descend  by  the  ladder  into  the 
ditch.  Once  there,  it  was  agreed  that  each  should  look 
after  himself. 

On  the  appointed  day — or,  rather,  night — they  removed 
the  bars  as  soon  as  they  found  all  was  silent  in  the  fortress. 
Fearing  that  their  suspended  bodies  might  be  seen  from  the 
other  cells,  they  first  let  down  a  long  white  sheet,  which 
covered  all  the  windows  between  their  cell  and  the  ground. 


THE  ABBE  COUNT  DE  BUCQUOY.          ICJ 

As  it  was  necessary  to  prevent  the  ladder  from  falling  close 
to  the  wall,  the  abbd  had  some  days  previously  erected  a 
kind  of  sundial  at  the  end  of  a  long  pole,  and  the  sentinels 
had  already  learned  to  regard  it  without  suspicion.  After 
they  had  taken  all  these  precautions,  and  had  smeared  the 
white  ropes  of  their  ladder  with  soot,  the  abbe  asked  to 
be  allowed  to  be  first  to  make  the  descent,  promising  to 
await  his  companions  in  the  ditch.  He  was,  at  the  same 
time,  to  warn  them  of  the  approach  of  the  sentinels  by 
pulling  a  smaller  rope,  falling  from  the  window  to  the 
ground.  When  all  had  been  thus  arranged  he  got  out  of 
the  window,  and  reached  the  ditch  in  safety;  but  he  re- 
mained there  two  hours  without  receiving  a  sign  from  his 
companions.  He  pulled  the  rope  repeatedly,  to  no  pur- 
pose, and  he  began  to  fear  they  were  engaged  in  some  new 
dispute,  when  he  saw  them  lowering  some  cumbrous  machine 
they  had  constructed  to  aid  them  in  their  flight.  Two  of 
them  came  down,  but  the  rest  had  not  at  first  been  able  to 
pass  through  the  window,  and  this  had  been  the  cause  of 
the  delay.  When  they  found,  at  length,  they  could  force 
themselves  through,  they  were  still  willing  to  stay  with  the 
unfortunate  Grandville,  whose  obesity  compelled  him  to  re- 
main behind,  but  he  generously  refused  to  allow  them  to 
make  this  useless  sacrifice  on  his  behalf. 

Their  sad  story  ended,  the  abbe  urged  them,  with  all  the 
eloquence  of  which  he  was  master,  to  follow  his  plan  of 
escape ;  but  not  being  able  to  persuade  them  he  began  to 
look  to  his  own  safety.  He  had  only  a  small  osier  ladder  ; 
with  this  he  contrived  to  gain  the  top  of  the  ditch  as  soon  as 
the  sentinel's  back  was  turned ;  he  then  climbed  the  counter- 
scarp and  reached  a  deep  gutter,  and  passing  over  another 
wall  and  ditch,  finally  dropped  into  the  Rue  St.  Antoine, 


I08  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

nearly  lacerating  his  arm  on  a  hook  outside  a  butcher's  shop 
in  his  fall.  Before  leaving  the  wall  he  looked  round  for  his 
comrades,  and  hearing  the  cry  of  a  half-strangled  person, 
followed  rapidly  by  a  musket-shot,  he  concluded  that  they 
had  tried  to  carry  out  their  intention  of  seizing  the  guard 
but  had  been  overpowered ;  and  as  he  never  heard  of  the 
unfortunate  creatures  again  he  remained  all  his  life  confirmed 
in  this  impression.  Not  caring  to  await  a  similar  fate,  he 
ran  rapidly  from  the  Rue  St.  Antoine  to  the  Rue  des  Jour- 
nelles ;  and  after  making  half  the  circuit  of  Paris  he  arrived 
at  the  house  of  some  friends,  who  furnished  him  with  the 
means  of  leaving  the  country. 


FORSTER,  MACINTOSH,  ROBERT  KEITH,  NITHS- 

D ALE,  AND  OTHER  CHIEFS  OF  THE  JACOBITE 

INSURRECTION. 

1715. 

DURING  the  Jacobite  insurrection  of  1715  a  great  number  of 
the  partisans  of  the  Pretender,  who  had  been  made  prisoners 
at  Preston,  were  taken  to  London,  and  lodged  in  Newgate 
and  other  gaols  of  the  metropolis.  Among  these  unfortunate 
men  were  Thomas  Forster,  of  Bamborough,  a  man  of  excel- 
lent family  and  a  member  of  Parliament  for  the  county  of 
Northumberland,  who  had  been  commander-in-chief  of  the 
insurrection  in  the  north  of  England  ;  Brigadier  Macintosh, 
a  highland  gentleman,  who  had  learnt  the  art  of  war  in  the 
service  of  France ;  Robert  Hepburn,  of  Keith,  one  of  the 
first  lairds  who  had  raised  the  standard  of  the  chevalier ; 
Charles  RadclifFe,  brother  of  the  Earl  of  Derwentwater,  a 


CHIEFS   OF   THE   JACOBITE    INSURRECTION.  109 

chief  of  the  insurrection  in  England  ;  and  the  Earls  of 
Nithsdale  and  of  Winton,  who  had  played  the  same  in 
Scotland. 

Like  almost  all  their  companions  in  misfortune,  they  had 
cherished  the  hope  that  the  fact  of  their  having  surrendered 
at  discretion  would  have  saved  their  lives.  But  when  they 
saw  so  many  around  them  condemned  for  high  treason  they 
resolved  to  escape.  The  means  at  their  command,  their 
numerous  friends  in  the  capital,  and  the  faulty  construction 
of  the  gaols  in  which  they  were  imprisoned  afforded  them  a 
reasonable  prospect  of  success. 

Accordingly,  on  the  roth  of  April,  1716,  Thomas  Forster, 
having  procured  false  keys,  simply  opened  the  door  of  his 
prison  and  escaped  in  a  manner  the  very  reverse  of  dramatic, 
but,  beyond  doubt,  perfectly  satisfactory  to  himself.  Every- 
thing was  prepared  for  his  flight,  and  he  arrived  safely  in 
France. 

On  the  loth  of  May  following,  Brigadier  Macintosh, 
having  succeeded  in  removing  his  irons  and  in  reaching  the 
lower  storey  of  the  prison,  placed  himself  near  the  door, 
and  the  moment  it  opened  for  the  admission  of  a  servant, 
who  had  stayed  out  late,  hurled  the  gaoler  to  the  ground 
and  passed  out,  with  fourteen  of  his  companions.  Some  ot 
the  fugitives  were  re-arrested  in  the  streets,  not  knowing 
where  to  fly  for  safety,  but  Macintosh  was  not  so  unfortunate. 
Among  the  prisoners  who  escaped  at  about  the  same  time  was 
Robert  Hepburn,  of  Keith.  He  overpowered  the  gaoler  by 
his  immense  strength,  and,  taking  the  keys  away  from  him, 
succeeded  in  gaining  the  street  without  being  pursued.  He 
was  aware  that  his  wife  and  a  number  of  his  own  people  were 
in  London,  ready  to  come  to  his  aid  ;  but  he  did  not  know 
how  to  find  them  in  that  immense  city,  living,  as  they  probably 


HO  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

were,  under  an  assumed  name.  While  wandering  about  in 
this  state  of  uncertainty,  fearing  to  betray  his  nationality 
by  asking  a  question,  he  saw  in  a  window  a  piece  of  plate 
which  had  long  been  in  possession  of  his  family,  and  which 
was  called  the  Tankard  of  Keith.  Without  a  moment's  hesi- 
tation, the  fugitive  entered  the  house  and  was  received  in 
the  arms  of  his  wife  and  children.  Informed  of  his  intention 
to  escape,  they  had  taken  a  lodging  as  near  the  prison  as  they 
could ;  and,  not  daring  to  confide  the  secret  of  their  retreat 
to  any  stranger,  they  had  had  recourse  to  this  means  of 
making  it  known  to  the  head  of  the  family.  Hepburn  of 
Keith  succeeded  in  reaching  France. 

Charles  Radcliffe  and  Lord  Winton,  who  were  condemned 
to  death,  also  contrived  to  regain  their  freedom  at  about  the 
same  time — whether  through  the  mere  carelessness  or  the 
deliberate  neglect  of  their  guards  it  is  not  easy  to  say.  But 
the  escape  which  made  the  most  noise  at  the  time  was  that 
of  the  Earl  of  Nithsdale,  who,  like  his  companions,  had  been 
condemned  to  suffer  the  extreme  penalty  of  the  law 

The  most  strenuous  exertions  had  been  made  to  obtain  a 
pardon  for  this  unfortunate  gentleman,  but  in  vain.  Lady 
Nithsdale,  his  wife,  had  thrown  herself  at  the  feet  of  George 
II.,  imploring  mercy,  but  the  king  had  refused  to  listen  to 
her.  She,  however,  obtained  permission  to  bid  her  husband 
adieu  on  the  night  before  his  execution ;  and  she  accord- 
ingly went  to  the  Tower,  accompanied  by  two  women,  who 
were  in  her  confidence.  One  of  these  women  had  on  two 
suits  of  outer  garments  ;  and  after  leaving  a  suit  in  the 
earl's  chamber  she  immediately  quitted  the  prison.  The 
second  woman  gave  the  earl  her  clothes  and  put  on  those 
which  the  first  had  just  taken  off.  Wrapped  up  in,  a  long 
cloak,  and  with  a  handkerchief  to  his  eyes,  the  prisoner  then 


CHARLES    EDWARD.  Ill 

passed  through  the  midst  of  the  sentinels,  left  the  Tower, 
and  at  once  took  ship  for  France.  Lady  Nithsdale,  who 
remained  behind,  ran  some  risk  of  suffering  in  her  husband's 
stead,  but  her  life  was  spared,  and  she  soon  regained  her 
liberty. 

The  Pretender  himself  succeeded  in  reaching  the  bridge 
of  Montrose  with  his  army,  and  embarked  secretly  with  the 
Earl  of  Mar  and  a  few  other  gentlemen,  and  thus  abandoned 
his  faithful  mountaineers  to  all  the  violence  of  an  infuriated 
government,  as  if,  in  his  anxiety  for  his  own  safety,  he  had 
quite  forgotten  the  unhappy  creatures  who  had  imperilled 
their  liberty  and  their  lives  for  his  sake.  This  departure  was, 
indeed,  less  of  an  escape  than  a  dishonourable  flight,  and 
no  sort  of  interest  attaches  to  it.  In  this  it  differed  alto- 
gether from  the  escape,  at  a  future  period,  of  his  son,  Prince 
Charles  Edward,  of  which  \ve  propose  to  give  an  account. 


CHARLES  EDWARD. 
1746. 

AFTER  the  battle  of  Culloden,  which  proved  the  ruin  of  his 
hopes,  Charles  Edward  was  obliged  to  fly,  to  escape  the 
government  of  George  II.  A  price  was  put  on  his  head, 
and  a  reward  of  .£30,000  sterling  was  offered  for  his  dis- 
covery and  capture.  "  One  would  have  supposed,"  says 
Scott,  "  that  in  a  country  so  poor  as  the  highlands  of  Scot- 
land, where  laws  concerning  property  are  almost  unknown, 
and  among  a  people  whose  propensities  to  pillage  had 
almost  passed  into  a  proverb,  a  reward  far  less  considerable 
would  have  sufficed  to  awake  the  cupidity  of  some  traitor, 
and  to  have  mined  the  Pretender.  That  was  not,  however, 


I  I  2  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

the  case ;  and  the  escape  of  this  prince,  so  long  retarded  by 
the  agents  of  the  victorious  power,  and  effected  with  so  much 
difficulty  and  amid  a  thousand  obstacles,  must  be  cited  to 
the  honour  of  Scotland,  as  a  striking  and  brilliant  example 
of  good  faith." 

Duringthe  battle  of  Culloden,  Charles  Edward  had  exposed 
himself  to  considerable  danger.  He  was  several  times  covered 
with  earth  thrown  up  by  the  bullets ;  he  made  repeated  at- 
tempts to  rally  his  troops,  and  according  to  the  testimony  of 
most  of  those  who  witnessed  his  conduct,  he  showed  himself 
a  brave  and  efficient  commander.  On  quitting  the  field  of 
battle  he  dismissed,  under  various  pretexts,  the  greater  num- 
ber of  the  gentlemen  who  followed  him — doubting,  possibly, 
their  fidelity — and  kept  with  him  only  a  few  Irish  officers, 
on  whom  he  thought  he  could  count.  He  directed  his 
flight  at  first  towards  the  residence  of  Lord  Lovat,  thinking, 
perhaps,  that  this  person,  who  was  renowned  for  his  saga- 
city, could  advise  him  as  to  his  future  course,  and,  perhaps, 
even  give  him  some  material  help ;  for  his  son,  the  Master 
of  Lovat,  and  Cluny  MacPherson,  another  relative,  had  both 
raised  considerable  reinforcements,  and  they  were  on  the 
march  to  join  the  prince's  army,  when  the  battle  took 
place.  Charles  and  Lovat  met  for  the  first  and  last  time, 
both  of  them  a  prey  to  the  fears  and  embarrassments  of  a 
desperate  situation.  Charles  spoke  only  of  the  distress  into 
which  Scotland  was  plunged,  Lovat  occupied  himself  solely 
with  his  personal  dangers.  The  prince  soon  perceived  that 
he  had  neither  advice  nor  help  to  expect  from  his  host,  and 
he  went  away  after  hastily  taking  some  refreshment.  The 
place  was  dangerous,  on  account  of  the  proximity  of  the 
victorious  army ;  and,  perhaps,  even  the  fidelity  of  Lovat 
was  to  be  suspected.  Charles  next  halted  at  Invergarry— a 


CHARLES    EDWARD.  113 

castle  belonging  to  the  laird  of  Glengarry,  where  he  was 
served  with  an  excellent  repast  of  fresh-caught  salmon.  As 
a  punishment  for  this  isolated  act  of  hospitality,  the  English 
soldiers  shortly  afterwards  pillaged  and  sacked  the  castle. 

From  Invergarry  the  fugitive  made  his  way  to  a  village 
in  the  western  mountains,  near  the  place  where  he  had  dis- 
embarked on  coming  from  France.  He  there  resolved  to 
abandon  his  enterprise,  and  he  accordingly  sent  a  message 
to  the  chiefs  and  the  soldiers  assembled  at  Ruthven,  thank- 
ing them  for  their  services,  and  urging  them  to  provide  for 
their  own  safety,  since  no  other  course  was  left  to  him  but 
to  try  to  make  his  escape  to  France.  His  partisans  in  vain 
implored  him  to  suffer  them  to  expose  themselves  to  new 
dangers  for  his  sake.  Charles  saw  too  clearly  that  all  was 
lost,  and  he  refused  to  be  the  means  of  sacrificing  the  lives 
of  brave  men,  who  he  knew  were  only  taking  counsel  of 
their  own  devotion  and  despair. 

Separated  from  his  faithful  supporters  and  friends,  Charles 
wandered  about  the  Hebrides  in  the  hope  of  finding  a  ship 
for  France.  But  the  xrery  elements  seemed  to  rave  declared 
against  him ;  no  ship  appeared ;  and  his  daily  life  was  fast 
becoming  almost  purposeless.  He  at  length  arrived  at  the 
spot  where  he  had  formerly  disembarked.  He  was  met  by 
Clanronald,  who  had  been  the  first  to  declare  for  him,  and 
who  remained  faithful  to  him  in  this  his  dire  distress.  The 
prince  was  lodged  in  a  miserable  hut  belonging  to  a  wood- 
cutter named  Corradale,  and  situated  upon  the  rugged 
mountain  which  bears  the  same  name. 

Meanwhile  the  agents  of  the  English  government  were 
making  a  keen  search  for  the  fugitive  in  every  place  that 
seemed  to  offer  him  the  possibility  of  an  asylum.  General 
Campbell  went  to  the  very  extremity  of  the  isle  of  St.  Kilda, 


114  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

which  might  be  termed  the  boundary  of  the  habitable  world, 
and  from  thence  passing  to  the  other  extremity  of  the 
Hebrides,  he  found  the  chiefs  of  Skye  and  of  MacLeod 
engaged  in  a  similar  search.  Two  thousand  men  in  all 
were  employed  in  this  undertaking,  while  the  coasts  of  the 
island  were  constantly  watched  by  ships  of  war.  It  seemed 
absolutely  impossible  for  the  prince  to  escape ;  yet  he  was 
saved  by  the  courage  of  a  woman. 

That  woman  was  Flora  Macdonald,  and  her  name  is  still 
honoured  in  the  land  of  her  birth.  She  was  a  relative  of 
Clanronald,  and  she  was  at  the  time  visiting  that  chief. 
Her  father-in-law,  who  was  of  the  clan  of  Sir  Alexander 
MacDonald,  was  consequently  an  enemy  of  the  Pretender, 
and  he  commanded  the  militia  of  the  name  of  MacDonald, 
which  was  then  exploring  South  Uist. 

Having  hastily  formed  a  plan  for  saving  the  prince,  Flora 
had  sufficient  address  to  obtain  from  her  father-in-law  per- 
mission to  engage  a  male  attendant  and  a  servant  girl,  whom 
she  named  Betty  Burke.  The  part  of  Betty  was  to  be  played 
by  the  prince  dressed  as  a  woman.  Charles  did  in  fact 
assume  this  disguise,  and  after  having  been  several  times  in 
danger  of  capture,  he  arrived  at  Kilbride,  in  the  Isle  of  Skye. 
But  he  was  still  in  Sir  Alexander  MacDonald's  county,  and 
he  ran  almost  as  great  risks  as  before.  Here,  however,  the 
courage  and  presence  of  mind  of  Flora  were  displayed  anew 
in  favour  of  the  man  thus  so  strangely  placed  under  the 
protection  of  a  young  girl.  She  resolved  to  confide  her 
secret  to  Lady  Margaret  MacDonald,  wife  of  Sir  Alexander, 
and  to  trust  to  the  natural  compassion  of  the  sex,  and  to 
that  enthusiasm  for  the  Jacobite  cause  then  common  arr.ong 
nearly  all  the  women  of  the  Highlands. 

This  undertaking  was  the  more  dangerous,  as     '  e  hi:~- 


CHARLES    EDWARD.  115 

band  of  Lady  Margaret  was  already  suspected  of  having  at 
first  offered  his  services  to  the  prince.  Lady  Margaret  was 
alarmed  at  Flora's  revelation.  Her  husband  was  absent,  and 
her  house  was  full  of  officers  of  militia.  She  could  think 
of  no  other  way  of  providing  for  the  safety  of  the  prince 
than  to  confide  him  to  the  care  of  MacDonald  of  Kings- 
burgh,  a  brave  and  intelligent  man,  who  acted  as  agent 
or  steward  to  Sir  Alexander.  Flora  undertook  to  conduct 
the  prince  to  MacDonald's  house ;  and  the  prince  was 
fortunate  enough  to  avoid  recognition  on  the  road,  although 
the  awkwardness  of  his  air,  dressed  as  he  was  like  a  woman, 
more  than  once  excited  suspicion. 

From  Kingsburgh  he  went  to  Raasay,  where  he  was  in 
the  greatest  distress ;  the  isle  having  been  pillaged  because 
the  laird  had  taken  part  in  the  insurrection.  During  this 
period  of  his  flight  he  passed  for  the  servant  of  his  guide. 
He  then  took  refuge  for  a  time  in  the  country  of  the  laird 
of  MacKinnon ;  but  notwithstanding  all  the  efforts  of  this 
chief  in  his  favour,  he  could  find  neither  rest  nor  safety  in 
that  part  of  the  Isle  of  Skye,  and  was  obliged  to  return  once 
more  to  the  mainland  of  Scotland,  on  the  borders  of  Loch 
Nevis.  He  was  there  exposed  to  new  dangers,  and  was 
very  nearly  taken.  A  great  number  of  soldiers  were  over- 
running the  district  which  was  the  cradle  of  the  insurrection, 
the  country  of  Lochiel,  of  Keppoch,  of  Glengarry,  and  of 
other  Jacobite  chiefs.  The  prince  and  his  guide  soon  found 
themselves  in  the  midst  of  a  circle  of  sentinels,  and  were 
scarcely  able  to  move  for  fear  of  detection.  After  having 
passed  two  days  surrounded  by  enemies,  and  without  daring 
to  light  a  fire  to  cook  their  food,  they  at  length  avoided  the 
threatened  danger  by  passing  through  a  narrow  defile,  which 
separated  the  posts  of  two  sentinels.  Living  thus  in  misery 

i  2 


Il6  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

and  nakedness,  often  without  food,  without  fire,  and  with- 
out shelter,  the  unfortunate  prince,  sustained  alone  by  the 
hope  of  learning  that  some  French  vessel  was  approaching 
the  coast,  arrived  at  length  at  the  mountains  of  Strath-glass  ; 
And  with  Glen  Allandale,  who  was  then  his  only  com- 
panion, was  obliged  to  take  shelter  in  a  cavern  which  was 
shared  by  seven  robbers.  These  men,  however,  were  not 
ordinary  outcasts  ;  but  like  Charles  himself,  they  had  been 
obliged  to  hide  because  they  had  taken  part  in  the  in- 
surrection. They  willingly  granted  shelter  to  the  fugitive, 
and  recognising  the  prince  for  whom  they  had  so  often 
exposed  their  lives,  they  renewed  to  him  their  oaths  of  de- 
votion. Among  his  most  obedient  and  attached  subjects, 
Charles  Edward  never  found  more  zeal,  fidelity,  and  effective 
help,  than  he  met  with  at  the  hands  of  these  men  who  had 
become  the  enemies  of  the  world  and  of  its  laws.  Wishing 
to  give  him  all  the  assistance  in  their  power,  they  undertook 
to  procure  him  a  suit  of  clothes,  a  change  of  linen,  some 
provisions,  and  news.  They  executed  their  design  with  a 
strange  mixture  of  that  simplicity  and  ferocity  which  then 
formed  the  basis  of  the  Highland  character.  Two  of  them 
lay  in  ambush  for  the  servant  of  an  officer  who  was  going 
to  Fort  Augustine  with  his  master's  baggage,  and  killed  him. 
This  was  the  means  of  furnishing  the  prince  with  clothes. 
Then  another,  in  disguise,  ventured  to  enter  Fort  Augustine, 
managed  to  obtain  valuable  infonnation  as  to  the  movement 
of  troops,  and  wishing  to  fulfil  his  mission  of  aid  in  all  its 
integrity,  brought  away  for  the  unfortunate  prince  a  small 
piece  of  spiced  bread  of  the  value  of  a  halfpenny.  Charles 
Edward  passed  more  than  three  weeks  in  this  cave,  and  it 
was  with  great  reluctance  that  his  hosts  suffered  him  to 
depart.  "  Stay  with  us,"  they  said.  "  The  mountains  of 


CHARLES    EDWARD.  IIJ 

gold  which  the  government  has  promised  for  your  head  will 
perhaps  lead  some  gentleman  to  betray  you;  for  it  will  be 
easy  for  him  to  go  in  a  distant  land,  and  live  upon  the  price 
of  his  infamy.  But  we  are  under  no  such  temptation.  We 
know  no  other  language  but  our  own ;  we  cannot  live  in 
any  other  country ;  and  if  we  were  to  harm  a  hair  of  your 
head,  our  own  mountains  would  fall  upon  us  and  crush  us." 
Another  remarkable  example  of  enthusiasm  and  devotion 
aided  at  about  this  time  the  escape  of  the  prince.  The  son 
of  a  goldsmith  of  Edinburgh,  named  Robert  Mackenzie, 
who  had  been  an  officer  in  the  Jacobite  army,  was  then 
hidden  in  the  country  of  Glen  Moriston.  He  was  of  about 
the  same  height  as  Charles,  and  he  resembled  him  very 
much,  both  in  face  and  figure.  He  was  discovered  by 
a  party  of  soldiers,  and  attacked.  He  defended  himself 
bravely ;  and  wishing  by  a  last  effort  of  heroism  to  render 
his  death  useful  to  the  cause  he  had  served,  he  cried  as 
he  fell  mortally  wounded,  "  Oh,  wretches,  you  have  killed 
your  prince  !"  His  generous  plan  succeeded.  He  was  taken 
for  Charles  Edward,  and  his  head  was  sent  to  London. 
Some  time  elapsed  before  the  deception  was  discovered ; 
and  as  most  persons  believed  that  the  real  prince  was 
killed,  the  government  began  to  relax  the  rigour  of  its  search. 
Profiting  by  this  momentary  respite,  Charles  Edward  sought 
an  interview  with  Lochiel,  Cluny  MacPherson,  and  some 
others  of  his  faithful  partisans  said  to  be  hidden  in  a  neigh- 
bouring district.  He  therefore  bid  farewell  to  his  faithful 
banditti,  two  of  whom,  however,  he  kept  with  him  to  serve 
as  guides  and  as  an  escort.  He  at  length  succeeded  in 
reaching  Lochiel  and  MacPherson,  though  not  without  run- 
ning very  great  risks.  They  lived  for  some  time  in  a  hut 
called  the  cage,  sheltered  by  a  very  thick  copse  on  the  slope 


Il8  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

of  the  mountain  Benalder.  But  they  were  in  the  midst  of 
abundance  ;  and  for  the  first  time  since  his  flight  the  prince 
had  enough  to  eat. 

Towards  the  middle  of  September,  Charles  Edward 
learned  that  two  French  frigates  had  arrived  at  Loch 
Lannagh  to  convey  him  to  France.  He  embarked  on  the 
twentieth,  with  a  hundred  of  his  partisans,  and  touched  the 
coast  of  Brittany  on  the  twenty-ninth,  at  a  spot  near 
Morlaix.  For  five  months  he  had  wandered  a  fugitive; 
leading  a  precarious  life  in  the  midst  of  fatigues  and  of 
dangers  surpassing  anything  recorded  in  history.  During 
this  time  his  secret  had  been  confided  to  hundreds  of 
persons  of  both  sexes,  of  all  ages,  and  of  all  conditions, 
without  one  of  them,  even  among  the  thieves  who  lived  at 
the  risk  of  their  lives,  having  for  a  moment  thought  of 
enriching  himself  with  the  wages  of  the  informer. 


STANISLAUS  LECZINSKI. 
1734- 

STANISLAUS  LECZINSKI  was  besieged  by  the  Russians  in  the 
city  of  Dantzic,  and  having  no  hope  of  relief,  and  knowing 
that  the  enemy  wished  to  capture  him  rather  than  the  city, 
the  unfortunate  king  of  Poland  resolved  to  subserve  the 
interests  of  his  country  in  providing  for  his  own  safety. 
Several  means  of  escape  were  presented  to  him.  Some 
Avished  him  to  place  himself  at  the  head  of  a  hundred 
determined  men,  and  to  pierce  the  Russian  lines,  but  the 
project  was  too  impracticable  to  be  entertained.  He  then 


STANISLAUS   LECZINSKI.  IT9 

adopted  the  plan  of  the  ambassador  of  France — that,  namely, 
of  flying  in  the  disguise  of  a  peasant. 

"  I  left  the  house  of  the  ambassador,"  says  the  king,  "  in 
partial  disguise.  I  had  not  gone  far  when  I  wished  to 
return  to  reassure  him,  for  he  was  greatly  alarmed  for  my 
safety,  and  to  dry  the  tears  which  I  had*  seen  him  shed.  I 
therefore  walked  up  aga:n  to  his  apartments  and  tapped  at 
the  door,  which  he  had  gently  closed.  I  found  him  pros- 
trate on  the  ground,  and  offering  up  fervent  prayers  to  God 
to  guide  me  in  my  dangerous  journey.  'I  come,'  said  I,  'to 
embrace  you  once  more,  and  to  beg  of  you  to  resign  yourself, 
as  I  do,  to  Providence/" 

Accompanied  by  General  Steinflycht,  disguised  like  him- 
self as  a  peasant,  and  by  another  officei  who  was  engaged 
to  assist  him,  the  king  crossed  the  ditch  in  a  boat,  intend- 
ing to  enter  Prussia,  but  he  was  obliged  to  pass  a  post 
commanded  by  a  Serjeant,  who  interrogated  the  party  so 
closely  that  they  judged  it  most  prudent  to  declare  them- 
selves. The  serjeant  then  made  a  profound  salute  to  the 
king,  and  allowed  him  to  pass.  The  king's  guides  did  not 
belong  to  the  most  honourable  portion  of  society,  two  of 
them  being  mere  vagabonds  ;  but  that  was  of  no  great  mo- 
ment as  they  were  perfectly  acquainted  with  the  roads,  and 
were  above  all  faithful.  They  began,  however,  by  detaining 
the  unfortunate  king  all  one  night  and  the  following  day  in 
a  miserable  cabin  in  the  midst  of  a  marsh,  about  a  quarter 
of  a  league  from  Dantzic.  They  assured  him  this  was 
necessary  for  his  safety,  and  Stanislaus  soon  discovered  that 
the  trusty  fellows  thought  too  little  of  his  rank  to  make  it 
worth  his  while  to  expostulate  with  them.  On  the  following 
night  they  took  to  their  boat,  and  rowed  slowly  and  with 
difficulty  along  a  sluggish  river  covered  with  weeds.  Towards 


120  WONDERFUL    ESCASES. 

midnight  the  guides  separated  in  two  parties,  one  of  which 
led  the  general  by  the  road  bordering  the  river,  while  the 
other  continued  with  the  king  in  the  boat.  At  daybreak 
they  again  hid  themselves  in  a  peasant's  hut,  and  the  king 
slept  on  a  truss  of  straw.  He  had  not  lain  there  long  when 
some  Cossacks  entered  with  a  great  uproar,  and  he  gave 
himself  up  for  lost  till  he  discovered  that  they  had  merely 
come  in  to  breakfast.  They  remained  at  table  two  mortal 
hours,  but  at  last  they  went  away,  and  the  peasant's  wife 
came  to  reassure  Stanislaus  with  the  news,  though  she  was 
wholly  unable  to  understand  why  he  wished  to  avoid  the 
Cossacks  instead  of  drinking  with  them.  At  nightfall  they 
again  took  to  the  boat,  and  passed  over  a  great  tract  of 
country  which  had  been  flooded,  and  then  after  a  long  and 
fatiguing  march  arrived  at  a  house,  the  owner  of  which 
uttered  a  loud  cry  at  seeing  the  king.  "  He  is  merely  one 
of  our  comrades,"  said  the  guides ;  "  what  has  alarmed 
you?"  "No,  I  am  not  deceived,"  said  the  peasant;  "it  is 
the  king,  Stanislaus."  "Yes,  my  friend,"  said  the  king 
firmly  and  confidently ; "  it  is  myself ;  but  you  are  too  honest 
a  man  to  refuse  me  help  in  the  condition  in  which  you 
see  me."  The  king's  confidence  was  not  misplaced ;  the 
man  promised  to  take  him  across  the  Vistula,  and  he  kept 
his  word. 

This  part  of  the  journey,  however,  was  not  effected  with- 
out the  king  being  exposed  to  very  great  dangers.  The 
Cossacks  had  possession  of  the  roads,  and  they  examined 
every  person  with  the  greatest  care  whose  appearance  resem- 
bled that  of  the  king.  The  fugitives  were  often  seen,  and  on 
one  occasion  the  guides  were  preparing  to  abandon  Stanis- 
laus, telling  him  that  they  did  not  wish  to  be  hanged  without 
having  the  least  chance  of  saving  his  life.  But  he  made 


STANISLAUS   LECZINSKI.  121 

them  remain  by  threatening  that  if  they  left  him  he  would  at 
once  call  the  Cossacks,  although  they  all  perished  together. 
At  another  time  he  had  to  reanimate  their  courage  by 
a  liberal  supply  of  beer  and  of  brandy.  He  had  already 
learned  that  Steinflycht  had  been  misled  and  probably 
taken.  At  length  they  reached  the  shores  of  the  Vistula, 
and  the  peasant,  hiding  the  king  in  some  bushes,  went  to  look 
for  a  boat.  When  he  was  ready  to  embark,  the  king  wished  to 
recompense  the  brave  fellow  by  a  present  of  a  considerable 
sum  of  money,  but  he  could  only  induce  him  to  accept  two 
ducats,  which  the  worthy  man  said  he  would  regard  "As 
a  souvenir  of  the  happiness  he  had  known  in  seeing  and 
knowing  his  sovereign."  "  He  took  the  ducats  out  of  my 
hand,"  says  Stanislaus,  "  in  a  manner  and  with  expressions 
not  easily  to  be  described." 

All  danger  was  not  at  an  end  even  when  they  had 
passed  the  Vistula.  On  one  occasion  one  of  the  two 
vagabonds  who  had  guided  the  king,  got  drunk,  and 
in  the  midst  of  a  village  openly  demanded  the  price  of 
services  he  had  rendered  at  the  risk  of  his  life.  The 
chief  guide  had  happily  the  presence  of  mind  to  ridi- 
cule him  before  the  villagers,  and  to  represent  him  as  a  kind 
of  madman,  who  whenever  he  had  too  much  to  drink  mis- 
took every  one  around  him  for  a  prince.  Stanislaus  at 
length  succeeded  in  passing  the  Nogat,  and  got  rid  at  the 
same  time  of  his  fears  and  of  his  vagabond  companions, 
who  though  they  had  not  betrayed  him,  had  added  no  little 
by  their  indiscretions  to  the  discomforts  and  miseries  of  his 
journey. 


122  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

BARON  TRENCK. 
1746-1763. 

FREDERIC  BARON  TRENCK,  bora  at  Konigsberg  in  1726, 
was  the  son  of  a  superior  officer  in  the  Prussian  army,  and 
cousin-german  of  the  famous  Trenck,  colonel  of  the  Pandours 
in  the  service  of  Maria  Theresa.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he 
became  an  officer  in  the  body-guard  of  Frederic  II.,  and  he 
was  high  in  the  favour  of  that  prince.  But  the  intelligence, 
the  bravery,  and  the  brilliant  exploits  to  which  he  owed 
that  favour  had  also  procured  him  many  enemies,  who  knew 
how  to  take  advantage  of  the  indiscretions  of  a  high  spirited 
young  man.  Trenck  was  presumptuous  enough  to  aspire 
to  the  regard  of  the  Princess  Amelia,  sister  of  the  king  ; 
and  this  was  undoubtedly  the  main  cause  of  his  disgrace, 
though  not  the  only  one.  In  the  campaign  of  1744  the 
enemy's  foragers  captured  the  young  officer's  grcrom,  with 
two  of  his  horses.  The  king  at  once  supplied  him  with 
another  horse  from  the  royal  stables  ;  but  the  next  morning 
the  groom  and  the  captured  horses  were  brought  back  again 
by  a  trumpeter  of  the  enemy,  who,  on  returning  them  M 
Trenck,  placed  in  his  hands  the  following  letter  from  the 
chief  of  the  Pandours  : — 

"Trenck  the  Austrian  is  not  at  war  with  his  cousin 
Trenck  the  Prussian.  He  is  delighted  to  have  been  able  to 
get  the  two  horses  out  of  the  clutches  of  his  hussars,  and  to 
return  them  to  his  cousin,  to  whom  they  belong." 

The  young  officer  at  once  took  the  letter  to  the  king,  who, 
regarding  him  with  a  frown,  said  :  "  Since  your  cousin  has 
sent  back  your  horses,  you  have  no  need  of  mine." 

Some  months  passed,  and  Trenck  seemed  perfectly  re- 
stored to  the  favour  of  his  sovereign,  when,  the  blow  with 


BARON    TRENCK.  123 

which  the  king  had  long  menaced  him  fell  suddenly  upon 
his  head. 

Some  time  previously,  Trenck  had  been  imprudent 
enough  to  write  to  his  cousin  in  the  Austrian  service ;  and, 
though  his  letter  contained  only  general  expressions  of 
compliment  and  regard,  it  was  none  the  less  a  grave  breach 
of  discipline.  The  affair  of  the  captured  horses  had  after- 
wards happened,  and  Trenck  had  very  nearly  forgotten  his 
letter,  when  he  one  day  received  what  purported  to  be  a 
reply  to  it,  though  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  it 
was  the  work  of  some  person  in  the  Prussian  service  plotting 
his  ruin.  Trenck  was,  however,  arrested,  with  the  letter  in 
his  possession,  and  was  taken  to  the  castle  of  Glatz,  where 
he  was  placed  in  one  of  the  rooms  allotted  to  the  officers  of 
the  guard,  and  allowed  the  liberty  of  the  fortress.  He  com- 
mitted the  error  of  writing  a  very  haughty  letter  to  Frederic, 
which  gave  great  offence.  He  had  remained  five  months  in 
confinement ;  the  king  had  vouchsafed  no  reply  to  his  de- 
mand to  be  brought  before  a  military  tribunal ;  peace  had 
been  made;  his  post  in  the  guards  had  been  given  to 
another  :  it  was  then  that  he  began  to  think  of  making  his 
escape. 

During  his  imprisonment  at  Glatz  he  had  made  many 
friends  among  the  officers  who  had  charge  of  him,  by  freely 
supplying  them  with  money,  with  which  he  was  well  pro- 
vided. Two  of  these  officers  volunteered  to  aid  him  in  his 
escape,  and  to  accompany  him  ;  and  in  addition  to  this  they 
all  three  undertook,  from  feelings  of  pity,  to  deliver  another 
officer,  who  had  been  condemned  to  ten  years'  imprison- 
ment in  the  same  fortress.  After  he  had  learned  all  their 
plans,  this  wretch,  whom  Trenck  had  loaded  with  benefits, 
betrayed  them,  and  earned  his  own  liberty  as  the  reward  of 


124  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

his  treachery.  One  of  the  confederates,  warned  in  time, 
was  enabled  to  save  himself;  the  other,  thanks  to  Trenck, 
who  had  bribed  his  judge,  escaped  with  a  year's  imprison- 
ment. But  Trenck  himself  was  from  that  day  watched 
more  closely  than  before.  Some  years  after,  the  wretch  who 
had  so  basely  sold  him  received  his  reward  :  Trenck  met 
him  at  Warsaw,  insulted  him  publicly,  and  killed  him  in  a 
duel. 

The  king  was  greatly  incensed  at  this  attempted  escape, 
the  more  so  as  he  had  already  promised,  at  the  earnest 
entreaty  of  Trenck's  mother,  to  release  him  in  a  year.  But 
Trenck  had,  unfortunately,  been  kept  in  ignorance  of  this 
latter  circumstance.  He  was  not  long,  however,  before  he 
made  another  effort  to  recover  his  liberty,  of  which  he  gives 
an  account  in  the  following  terms  : — 

"  My  window  looked  towards  the  city,  and  was  ninety 
feet  from  the  ground,  in  the  tower  of  the  citadel,  out  of 
which  I  dared  not  get  before  finding  a  place  of  refuge 
in  the  city.  This  an  officer  undertook  to  procure  me, 
and  prevailed  on  an  honest  soap-boiler  to  grant  me  a 
hiding-place.  I  then  notched  my  penknife  and  sawed 
through  three  iron  bars ;  but  this  mode  was  too  tedious,  it 
being  necessary  to  file  away  eight  bars  from  my  window 
before  I  could  pass  through.  Another  officer,  therefore, 
procured  me  a  file,  which  I  was  obliged  to  use  with  caution, 
lest  I  should  be  overheard  by  the  sentinels. 

"  Having  ended  this  labour,  I  cut  my  leather  portmanteau 
into  thongs,  sewed  them  end  to  end,  added  the  sheets  of 
my  bed,  and  descended  safely  from  this  tremendous  height. 

"  It  rained,  the  night  was  dark,  and  all  seemed  fortunate  ; 
but  I  had  to  wade  through  moats  full  of  mud  before  I  could 
enter  the  city — a  circumstance  I  had  never  once  considered. 


BARON    TRENCK.  125 

I  sank  up  to  the  knees,  and  after  long  struggling  and  in- 
credible efforts  to  extricate  myself,  I  was  obliged  to  call  the 
sentinel  and  desire  him  to  go  and  tell  the  governor  Trenck 
was  stuck  fast  in  the  moat. 

"  My  misfortune  was  the  greater  on  this  occasion  as 
General  Fouquet  was  then  governor  of  Glatz.  He  was  one 
of  the  cruellest  of  men.  He  had  been  wounded  by  my 
father  in  a  duel,  and  the  Austrian  Trenck  had  taken  his 
baggage  in  1744,  and  had  also  laid  the  country  of  Glatz 
under  contribution.  He  was,  therefore,  an  enemy  to  the 
very  name  of  Trenck ;  nor  did  he  lose  any  opportunity  of 
giving  proofs  of  his  sentiments,  and  especially  on  the  present 
occasion,  when  he  left  me  standing  in  the  mire  till  noon,  the 
sport  of  the  soldiers.  I  was  then  drawn  out,  half  dead, 
only  to  be  again  imprisoned  and  shut  up  the  whole  day, 
without  water  to  wash  myself.  No  one  can  imagine  how  I 
looked — exhausted  and  dirty,  my  long  hair  having  fallen 
into  the  mud,  with  which,  by  my  struggling,  it  was  loaded. 
I  remained  in  this  condition  till  the  next  day,  when  two 
fellow-prisoners  were  sent  to  assist  and  clean  me. 

"  My  imprisonment  now  became  intolerable.  I  had  still 
eighty  louis  d'ors  in  my  purse,  which  had  not  been  taken 
from  me  at  my  removal  into  another  dungeon,  and  these 
afterwards  did  me  good  service. 

"Eight  days  had  not  elapsed  since  my  last  fruitless  at- 
tempt to  escape  when  an  event  happened  which  would 
appear  incredible  were  I,  the  principal  actor  in  the  scene, 
not  alive  to  attest  its  truth,  and  might  not  all  Glatz  and 
the  Prussian  garrison  be  produced  as  eye  and  ear-witnesses. 
This  incident  will  prove  that  adventurous  and  even  rash  dar- 
ing will  render  the  most  improbable  undertakings  possible, 
and  that  desperate  attempts  may  often  make  a  general  more 


126  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

fortunate  and  famous  than  the  wisest  and  best  concerted 
plans. 

"Major  Doo  came  to  visit  me,  accompanied  by  an  officer 
of  the  guard  and  an  adjutant.  After  examining  every  cor- 
ner of  my  chamber,  he  addressed  me,  taxing  me  with  a 
second  crime  in  endeavouring  to  obtain  my  liberty,  adding 
that  this  must  certainly  increase  the  anger  of  the  king. 

"My  blood  boiled  at  the  word  crime;  he  talked  of  pa 
tience,  I  asked  how  long  the  king  had  condemned  me  to 
imprisonment.  He  answered,  a  traitor  to  his  country  who 
has  correspondence  with  the  enemy,  cannot  be  condemned 
for  a  certain  time,  but  must  depend  for  grace  and  pardon 
on  the  king. 

"  At  that  instant  I  snatched  his  sword  from  his  side,  on 
which  my  eyes  had  been  some  time  fixed,  sprang  out  of  the 
door,  tumbled  the  sentinel  from  the  top  to  the  bottom  of 
the  stairs,  passed  the  men  who  happened  to  be  drawn  up 
before  the  prison  door  to  relieve  the  guard,  attacked  them 
sword  in  hand,  threw  them  suddenly  into  surprise  by  the 
manner  in  which  I  laid  about  me,  wounded  four  of  them, 
made  way  through  the  rest,  sprang  over  the  breastwork  of  the 
ramparts,  and  with  the  sword  drawn  in  my  hand  immediately 
leaped  this  astonishing  height  without  receiving  the  least 
injury ;  I  leaped  the  second  wall  with  equal  safety  and  good 
fortune.  None  of  their  pieces  were  loaded  ;  no  one  durst 
leap  after  me,  and  in  order  to  pursue,  they  must  go  round 
through  the  tower  and  gate  of  the  citadel,  so  that  I  had  the 
start  full  half  an  hour. 

"  A  sentinel,  however,  in  a  narrow  passage  endeavoured 
to  oppose  my  flight,  but  I  parried  his  fixed  bayonet  and 
wounded  him  in  the  face.  A  second  sentinel,  meantime, 
ran  from  the  outworks  to  seize  me  behind,  and  I,  to  avoid 


My  foot  got  stuck,  and  the  sentinel  seized  it. 


BARON   TRENCK.  127 

him,  I  made  a  spring  at  the  palisades ;  unluckily  my  foot 
got  stuck,  and  the  sentinel  seized  it  and  held  me  by  it  till 
his  comrades  came  up,  who  beat  me  with  the  butt  end 
of  their  muskets,  and  dragged  me  back  to  prison,  while  I 
struggled  and  defended  myself  like  a  man  grown  desperate. 

"Certain  it  is,  had  I  more  carefully  jumped  the  palisades, 
and  despatched  the  sentinel  who  opposed  me  I  might  have 
escaped,  and  gained  the  mountains.  Thus  might  I  have 
fled  to  Bohemia,  after  having,  at  noon  day,  broken  from  the 
fortress  at  Glatz,  sprung  past  all  its  sentinels,  over  all  its 
walls,  and  passed  with  impunity,  in  spite  of  the  guard,  who 
were  under  arms,  ready  to  oppose  me.  I  should  not,  with 
a  sword  in  my  hand,  have  feared  any  single  opponent,  and 
was  able  to  contend  with  the  swiftest  runners.  That  good 
fortune  which  had  so  far  attended  me,  forsook  me  at  the 
palisades,  where  hope  was  at  an  end. 

"The  severities  of  imprisonment  were  increased,  two 
sentinels  and  an  under  officer  were  locked  in  with  me, 
and  were  themselves  guarded  by  sentinels  without.  I  was 
beaten  and  wounded  by  the  butt  ends  of  their  muskets,  my 
right  foot  was  sprained.  I  spit  blood,  and  my  wounds  were 
not  cured  in  less  than  a  month. 

"I  was  now  informed  for  the  first  time  that  the  king  had 
only  condemned  me  to  a  year's  imprisonment  to  learn  whether 
his  suspicions  were  well  founded.  My  mother  had  petitioned 
for  me,  and  was  answered,  '  Your  son  must  remain  a  year 
imprisoned  as  a  punishment  for  his  rash  correspondence.' 
Of  this  I  was  ignorant,  and  it  was  reported  in  Glatz,  that  my 
imprisonment  was  for  life.  I  had  only  three  weeks  longer 
to  repine  for  the  loss  of  liberty,  when  I  made  this  rash 
attempt.  What  must  the  king  think  ?  Was  he  not  obliged 
to  act  with  this  severity  ?  How  couid  prudence  excuse  rny 


128  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

impatience,  thus  to  risk  a  confiscation,  when  I  was  certain 
of  receiving  freedom,  justification,  and  honour  in  three 
weeks.  But  such  was  my  adverse  fate,  circumstances  all 
tended  to  injure  and  persecute  me,  till  at  length  I  gave 
everyone  reason  to  suppose  I  was  a  traitor,  notwithstanding 
the  purity  of  my  intentions. 

"  Once  more  then  I  was  in  a  dungeon,  and  no  sooner  was 
I  there  than  I  formed  new  projects  of  flight.  I  first  gained 
the  intimacy  of  my  guards.  I  had  money,  and  this,  with 
the  compassion  I  had  inspired,  might  effect  anything 
among  discontented  Prussian  soldiers.  Soon  I  had  gained 
thirty-two  men  who  were  ready  to  execute,  on  the  first  sig- 
nal, whatever  I  should  command.  Two  or  three  excepted, 
they  were  unacquainted  with  each  other,  they  consequently 
could  not  all  betray  me  at  once.  One  Nicholai,  a  subal- 
tern, was  chosen  as  the  leader. 

"The  garrison  consisted  only  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
men  from  the  garrison  regiment — the  rest  being  dispersed 
in  the  county  of  Glatz — and  four  officers  their  commanders, 
three  of  whom  were  in  my  interest.  Everything  was  pre- 
pared, swords  and  pistols  were  concealed  in  the  oven,  which 
was  in  my  prison.  We  intended  to  give  liberty  to  all  the 
prisoners,  and  retire  with  drums  beating,  into  Bohemia. 

"  Unfortunately,  an  Austrian  deserter,  to  whom  Nicholai 
had  imparted  our  design  revealed  our  conspiracy.  The 
gqvernor  instantly  sent  his  adjutant  to  the  citadel  with 
orders  that  the  officer  on  guard  should  arrest  Nicholai,  and 
with  his  men  take  possession  of  the  casement. 

"  Nicholai  was  on  the  guard,  and  the  lieutenant  was  my 
friend,  and  being  in  the  secret  gave  the  signal  that  all  was 
discovered.  Nichobi  only  knew  all  the  conspirators, 
several  of  whom  that  day  were  on  guard.  He  instantly 


BARON  TRENCK.  I 29 

formed  his  resolution,  leaped  into  the  casement,  crying, 
'  Comrades,  to  arms  !  we  are  betrayed ; '  all  followed  to  the 
guard-house,  where  they  seized  on  the  cartridges.  The  officer 
having  only  eight  men,  and  threatening  to  fire  on  whoever 
should  offer  resistance,  came  to  deliver  me  from  prison,  but 
the  iron  door  was  too  strong  and  the  time  too  short  for  that 
to  be  demolished.  Nicholai,  calling  to  me,  bid  me  aid 
them,  but  in  vain  ;  and  perceiving  nothing  more  could  be 
done  for  me,  this  brave  man,  heading  nineteen  others, 
marched  to  the  gate  of  the  citadel,  where  there  was  a  sub- 
officer  and  ten  soldiers,  obliged  these  to  accompany  him, 
and  thus  arrived  safely  at  Braunau,  in  Bohemia,  for  before 
the  news  was  spread  through  the  city,  and  men  were  col- 
lected for  the  pursuit,  they  were  nearly  half  way  on  their 
journey. 

"  Two  years  after  I  met  with  this  extraordinary  man  at 
Ofenburg,  where  he  was  a  writer ;  he  entered  immediately 
into  my  service,  and  became  my  friend,  but  died  some 
months  after  of  a  burning  fever  at  my  quarters  in  Hun- 
gary, at  which  I  was  deeply  grieved,  for  his  memory  will 
ever  be  dear  to  me. 

"  Now  was  I  exposed  to  all  the  storms  of  ill  fortune ;  a 
prosecution  was  entered  against  me  as  a  conspirator,  who 
wanted  to  corrupt  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  King. 
They  commanded  me  to  name  the  remaining  conspirators ; 
but  to  these  questions  I  made  no  answer  except  by  stead- 
fastly declaring  I  was  an  innocent  prisoner,  an  officer  un- 
justly broken,  because  I  had  never  been  brought  to  trial, — 
that  consequently  I  was  released  from  all  my  engagements. 

"  A  lieutenant,  whose  name  was  Bach,  a  Dane,  mount- 
ed guard  every  fourth  day,  and  was  the  terror  of  the 
whole  garrison  ;  for  being  a  perfect  master  of  arms,  he  was 

K 


1 30  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

incessantly  involved  in  quarrels,  and  generally  left  his 
marks  behind  him.  He  had  served  in  two"  regiments, 
neither  of  which  would  associate  with  him  for  this  reason, 
and  he  had  been  sent  to  the  garrison  regiment  at  Glatz  as 
a  punishment. 

"  Bach,  one  day  sitting  beside  me,  related  how  the  evening 
before  he  had  wounded  a  lieutenant,  of  the  name  of  Schell, 
in  the  arm.  I  replied,  laughing,  'Had  I  my  liberty,  I 
believe  you  would  find  some  trouble  in  wounding  me,  for 
I  have  some  skill  in  the  sword.'  The  blood  instantly  flew 
into  his  face.  We  split  off  a  kind  of  a  pair  of  foils  from 
an  old  door,  which  had  served  me  as  a  table,  and  at  the 
first  lunge  I  hit  him  on  the  breast. 

"  His  rage  became  ungovernable,  and  he  left  the  prison. 
What  was  my  astonishment  when,  a  moment  after,  I  saw 
him  return  with  two  soldier's  swords,  which  he  had  con- 
cealed under  his  coat.  '  Now  then,  boaster,  prove/  said 
he,  giving  me  one  of  them,  '  what  thou  art  able  to  do.'  I 
endeavoured  to  pacify  him,  by  representing  the  danger  ;  but 
ineffectually.  He  attacked  me  with  the  utmost  fury,  and  I 
wounded  him  in  the  arm. 

"  Throwing  his  sword  down,  he  fell  upon  my  neck,  kissed 
me,  and  wept.  At  length,  after  some  convulsive  emotions 
of  pleasure,  he  said,  '  Friend,  thou  art  my  master,  and 
thou  must,  thou  shalt,  by  my  aid,  obtain  thy  liberty,  as 
certainly  as  my  name  is  Bach.'  We  bound  up  his  arm  as 
well  as  we  could.  He  left  me,  and  secretly  went  to  a 
surgeon  to  have  it  properly  dressed,  and  at  night  returned. 

"Lieutenant  Schell  was  just  come  from  the  garrison 
at  Habelschwert,  to  the  citadel  of  Glatz,  and  in  two  days 
was  to  mount  guard  over  me,  till  which  time  our  attempt 
was  suspended.  I  had  received  no  more  supplies,  and  my 


BARON  TRENCK.  13! 

purse  only  contained  some  six  pistoles.  It  was  therefore 
resolved  that  Bach  should  go  to  Schweidnitz,  and  obtain 
money  of  a  sure  friend  of  his  in  that  city. 

"  It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  at  this  period  the  officers 
and  I  all  understood  each  other,  Captain  Roder  alone 
excepted,  who  was  exact,  rigid,  and  gave  trouble  on  every 
possible  occasion.  Major  Quaadt  was  my  kinsman  by  my 
mother's  side,  a  good  friendly  man,  and  ardently  desirous  I 
should  escape,  seeing  my  calamities  were  so  much  increased. 
The  four  lieutenants,  who  successively  mounted  guard  over 
me,  were  Bach,  Schroeder,  Lunitz,  and  Schell.  The  first 
was  the  grand  projector,  and  made  all  preparations.  Schell 
was  to  desert  with  me,  and  Schroeder  and  Lunitz,  three 
days  after,  were  to  follow.  No  one  ought  to  be  surprised  that 
officers  of  garrison  regiments  should  be  so  ready  to  desert ; 
they  are  in  general  either  men  of  violent  passions,  quarrel- 
some, overwhelmed  with  debts,  or  unfit  for  service.  They 
are  usually  sent  to  garrison  as  a  punishment,  and  are  called 
the  refuse  of  the  army.  Dissatisfied  with  their  situation, 
their  pay  much  reduced,  and  despised  by  the  troops,  such 
men,  expecting  advantage,  may  be  brought  to  engage  in 
the  most  desperate  undertaking ;  for  none  of  them  can 
hope  for  their  discharge.  They  all  hoped  by  my  means  to 
better  their  fortune,  I  always  having  had  money  enough, 
and  with  money,  nothing  is  more  easy  than  to  find  friends 
in  places  where  each  individual  is  desirous  of  escaping 
from  slavery. 

"  The  governor  had  in  the  meantime  been  informed  how 
familiar  I  had  become  with  the  officers,  and,  growing  alarmed 
at  this  circumstance,  he  sent  orders  that  my  door  should  no 
more  be  opened,  but  that  I  should  receive  my  food  through  a 
small  window  that  had  been  made  for  the  purpose.  The  care 

K  2 


132  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

of  the  prison  was  committed  to  the  major,  and  he  was 
forbidden  to  eat  with  me  under  pain  of  being  broken. 

"  His  precautions  were  ineffectual.  The  officers  procured 
a  false  key,  and  remained  with  me  half  the  day  and  night. 

A  Captain  Damnitz  was  imprisoned  in  an  apartment  by 
the  side  of  mine.  This  man  had  deserted  from  the  Prussian 
service,  with  the  money  belonging  to  his  company,  to 
Austria,  where  he  obtained  a  commission  in  his  cousin's 
regiment.  This  cousin  having  prevailed  on  him  to  serve  as 
a  spy  during  the  campaign  of  1744,  he  was  taken  in  the 
Prussian  territories,  recognised,  and  condemned  to  be 
hanged. 

"  Some  Swedish  volunteers  who  were  then  in  the  army 
interested  themselves  in  his  behalf,  and  his  sentence  was 
changed  to  perpetual  imprisonment,  with  a  sentence  of 
infamy. 

"  This  wretch,  who  two  years  afterwards,  by  the  aid  of  his 
protectors,  not  only  obtained  his  liberty,  but  a  lieutenant- 
colonel's  commission,  was  the  secret  spy  of  the  major  over 
the  prisoners,  and  he  remarked  that  notwithstanding  the 
express  prohibition  laid  on  the  officers,  they  still  passed  the 
greater  part  of  their  time  in  my  company. 

"The  24th  of  December  came,  and  Schell  mounted  guard. 
He  entered  my  prison  immediately,  where  he  continued  a 
long  time,  and  we  made  our  arrangements  for  flight  when 
he  should  next  mount  guard. 

"  Meantime  Lieut.  Schroeder,  who  was  in  the  secret,  had 
no  doubt  but  that  we  were  betrayed,  knowing  that  the  spy 
Damnitz  had  informed  the  governor  that  Schell  was  then  in 
my  chamber.  Schroeder,  therefore,  full  of  terror,  came  run- 
ning to  the  citadel,  and  said  to  Schell : '  Save  thyself,  friend  ; 
all  is  discovered,  and  thou  wilt  instantly  be  put  under  arrest.' 


BARON    TRENCK.  133 

"Sehell  might  easily  have  provided  for  his  own  safety,  by 
flying  singly,  Schroeder  having  prepared  horses  on  one  of 
which  he  himself  offered  to  accompany  him  into  Bohemia. 

"How  did  this  worthy  man,  in  a  moment  so  dangerous, 
act  towards  his  friend  ?  Running  suddenly  into  my  prison, 
he  drew  a  corporaj's  sabre  from  under  his  coat,  and  said, 
'  My  friend,  we  are  betrayed ;  follow  me,  only  do  not  allow 
me  to  fall  alive  into  the  hands  of  my  enemies/ 

"  I  would  have  spoken,  but  interrupting  me,  and  taking 
me  by  the  hand,  he  added,  '  Follow  me,  we  have  not  a 
moment  to  lose.'  I  therefore  slipped  on  my  coat  and  boots, 
without  having  time  to  take  the  little  money  I  had  left ;  and 
as  we  went  out  of  the  prison,  Sehell  said  to  the  sentinel, 
'  I  am  taking  the  prisoner  into  the  officer's  apartment  j  stand 
where  you  are." 

"  Into  this  room  we  really  went,  but  passed  out  at  the 
other  door.  The  design  of  Sehell  was  to  go  under  the 
arsenal,  which  was  not  far  off,  to  gain  the  covered  way,  leap 
the  palisadoes,  and  afterwards  escape  the  best  manner  we 
might 

"  We  had  hardly  gone  a  hundred  paces  before  we  met  the 
Adjutant  and  Major  Quaadt.  Sehell  started  back,  sprang 
upon  the  rampart,  and  leaped  from  the  wall,  which  was  at  that 
part  not  very  high.  I  followed,  and  alighted  unhurt,  except 
having  grazed  my  shoulder.  My  poor  friend  was  not  so 
fortunate,  having  put  out  his  ankle.  He  immediately  drew 
his  sword,  presented  it  to  me,  and  begged  me  to  despatch 
him  and  fly.  He  was  a  small,  weak  man  ;  but,  far  from 
complying  with  his  request,  I  took  him  in  my  arms, 
threw  him  over  the  palisadoes,  afterwards  got  him  on  my 
back,  and  began  to  run,  without  knowing  very  well  which 
way  I  went. 


134  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

"  It  may  not  be  unnecessary  to  notice  the  fortunate 
circumstances  that  favoured  our  enterprise. 

"The  sun  had  just  set  as  we  took  to  flight,  and  a  hoar 
frost  came  on.  No  one  would  run  the  risk  that  we  had  done, 
by  making  so  dangerous  a  leap.  We  heard  a  terrible  noise 
behind  us.  Everybody  knew  us,  but  before  they  could  go 
round  the  citadel,  and  run  through  the  town,  in  order  to 
pursue  us,  we  had  got  a  full  half-league. 

"  The  alarm  guns  were  fired  before  we  were  a  hundred 
paces  distant,  at  which  my  friend  was  very  much  terrified, 
knowing  that  in  such  cases  it  was  generally  impossible  to 
escape  from  Glatz  unless  the  fugitives,  had  got  a  start  of 
full  two  hours ;  the  passes  being  immediately  all  stopped 
by  the  peasants  and.  hussars,  who  are  exceedingly  vigilant. 
No  sooner  is  a  prisoner  missed  than  the  gunner  runs 
from  the  guard  house  and  fires  the  camion  on  the  three 
sides  of  the  fortress,  which  are  kept  loaded  day  and  night 
for  that  purpose. 

"  We  were  not  five  hundred  paces  from  the  wall  when  all 
before  us  and  behind  us  were  in  motion.  It  was  daylight 
when  we  leaped,  yet  was  our  attempt  as  fortunate  as  it  was 
wonderful;  this  I  attributed  to  my  presence  of  mind,  and 
the  reputation  I  had  already  gained,  which  made  it  thought 
a  service  of  danger  for  two  or  three  men  to  attack  me. 

"It  was,  besides,  imagined  we  were  well  provided  with 
arms  for  our  defence,  and  it  was  little  suspected  that  Schell 
had  only  his  sword,  and  I  an  old  corporal's  sabre. 

"Scarcely  had  I  borne  my  friend  three  hundred  paces,  be- 
fore I  set  him  down,  and  1  looked  round  me ;  but  darkness 
came  on  so  fast,  that  I  could  see  neither  town  nor  citadel, 
consequently,  we  ourselves  could  not  be  seen. 

'•My  presence  of  mind  did  not  forsake  me ;  death  or  free- 


BARON    TRENCK.  135 

dom  was  my  determination.  '  Where  are  we,  Schell  ?'  said 
I  to  my  friend.  '  Where  does  Bohemia  lie  ?  On  which 
side  is  the  river  Neiss.'  The  worthy  man  could  make  no 
answer;  his  mind  was  all  confusion,  and  he  despaired  of  our 
escape.  He  still,  however,  entreated  I  would  not  let  him  be 
taken  alive,  and  affirmed  my  labour  was  all  in  vain.  After 
having  promised,  by  all  that  was  sacred,  I  would  save  him 
from  an  infamous  death,  if  no  other  means  were  left,  and 
thus  raised  his  spirits,  he  looked  round,  and  knew,  by  some 
trees,  we  were  not  far  from  the  city  gates. 

"  I  asked  him,  '  Where  is  the  Neiss  ? '  He  pointed  side- 
ways. '  All  Glatz  has  seen  us  fly  towards  the  Bohemian 
mountains.  It  is  impossible  we  should  avoid  the  hussars, 
the  passes  being  all  guarded,  and  we  beset  with  enemies.' 
So  saying,  I  took  him  on  my  shoulders,  and  carried  him  to 
the  Neiss.  Here  we  distinctly  heard  the  alarm  sounded  in 
the  villages,  and  the  peasants,  who  likewise  were  to  form 
the  line  of  desertion,  were  everywhere  in  motion  and 
spreading  the  alarm.  I  came  to  the  Neiss,  which  was  a 
little  frozen,  entered  it  with  my  friend,  and  carried  him  as 
long  as  I  could  wade;  and  when  I  could  not  feel  the 
bottom,  which  did  not  continue  for  a  space  of  eighteen 
feet,  he  clung  round  me,  and  thus  we  got  safely  to  the  other 
shore.  The  reader  will  easily  suppose  swimming  in  the 
midst  of  December,  and  remaining  afterwards  in  the  open 
air  eighteen  hours,  was  a  severe  hardship. 

"  About  seven  o'clock,  the  hoar  frost  was  succeeded  by 
frost  and  moonlight.  The  carrying  of  my  friend  kept  me 
warm,  it  is  true ;  but  I  began  to  be  tired,  while  he  suffered 
everything  that  frost,  the  pain  of  a  dislocated  foot  (which 
I  in  vain  endeavoured  to  reset),  and  the  danger  of  death 
from  a  thousand  hands  could  inflict. 


136  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

"  We  were  somewhat  tranquil,  however,  since  nobody 
would  pursue  us  to  Silesia,  I  followed  the  course  of  the  river 
for  half  an  hour,  and  having  once  passed  the  first  villages  that 
formed  the  line  of  desertion,  with  which  Schell  was  perfectly 
acquainted,  we  in  a  lucky  moment  found  a  fisherman's  boat 
moored  to  the  shore.  Into  this  we  leaped,  crossed  the 
river  again,  and  soon  gained  the  mountains.  Here  being 
come,  we  sat  ourselves  down  on  the  snow.  Hope  revived 
in  our  hearts,  and  we  held  council  concerning  how  it  was 
best  to  act.  I  cut  a  stick  to  assist  Schell  in  hopping  for- 
ward as  well  as  he  could  when  I  was  tired  of  carrying  him ; 
and  thus  we  continued  our  route,  the  difficulties  of  which 
were  increased  by  the  mountain  snows. 

"  Thus  passed  the  night,  during  which,  up  to  the  middle 
in  snow,  we  made  but  little  way.  There  were  no  paths  to  be 
traced  in  the  mountains,  and  they  were  in  many  places 
impassable. 

"  Day  at  length  appeared.  We  thought  ourselves  near  the 
frontiers,  which  are  twenty  English  miles  from  Glatz,  when 
we  suddenly,  to  our  terror,  heard  the  city  clock  strike. 
Overwhelmed  as  we  were  by  hunger,  cold,  pain,  and  fatigue, 
it  was  impossible  we  should  hold  out  during  the  day.  After 
some  consideration,  and  another  half-hour's  labour,  we 
came  to  a  village  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  on  the  side 
of  which,  about  three  hundred  paces  from  us,  we  perceived 
two  separate  houses,  and  the  sight  inspired  us  with  a 
stratagem  that  was  successful. 

"  We  lost  our  hats  in  leaping  the  ramparts,  but  Schell  had 
preserved  his  scaif  and  gorget,  which  would  give  him 
authority  among  the  peasants. 

"I  then  cut  my  finger,  rubbed  the  blood  over  my  face,  my 
shirt,  and  my  coat,  and  bound  up  my  head,  to  give  mvself 


BARON   TRENCK.  137 

the  appearance  of  a  man  dangerously  wounded.  In  this 
condition,  I  carried  Schell  to  the  end  of  the  wood,  not  far 
from  these  houses.  Here  he  tied  my  hands  behind  my 
back,  but  so  that  I  could  easily  disengage  them  in  time  of 
need,  and  hobbled  after  me  by  aid  of  his  staff,  calling  for 
help. 

"Two  old  peasants  appeared,  and  Schell  commanded  them 
to  run  to  the  village  and  tell  a  magistrate  to  come  imme- 
diately with  a  cart.  *  I  have  seized  this  knave,'  added  he, 
'  who  has  killed  my  horse,  and  in  the  struggle  I  have  put 
out  my  ankle.  However,  I  have  wounded  him  and  bound 
him.  Fly  quickly ;  bring  a  cart,  lest  he  should  die  before 
he  is  hanged.' 

"As  for  me,  I  suffered  myself  to  be  led,  as  if  half  dead, 
into  the  house.  A  peasant  was  dispatched  to  the  village. 

"  An  old  woman  and  a  pretty  girl  seemed  to  take  great 
pity  on  me,  and  gave  me  some  bread  and  milk  ;  but  how 
great  was  our  astonishment  when  the  aged  peasant  called 
Schell  by  his  name,  and  told'  him  he  well  knew  we  were 
deserters,  he  having  the  night  before  been  at  a  neighbouring 
alehouse,  where  the  officer  in  pursuit  of  us  came,  named 
and  described  us,  and  related  the  whole  history  of  our  flight. 
The  peasant  knew  Schell,  because  his  son  served  in  his 
company,  and  had  often  spoken  of  him  when  he  was 
quartered  at  Habelschwert. 

"  Presence  of  mind  and  resolution  were  all  that  were  now 
left.  I  instantly  ran  to  the  stable,  while  Schell  detained  the 
peasant  in  the  chamber.  He,  however,  was  a  worthy  man, 
and  directed  him  to  the  road  towards  Bohemia.  We  were 
still  about  seven  miles  from  Glatz,  having  lost  ourselves 
among  the  mountains,  where  we  had  wandered  many  miles. 
The  daughter  followed  me.  I  found  three  horses  in  the 


138  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

stable  but  no  bridles.  I  conjured  her  in  the  most  passionate 
manner  possible  to  assist  me.  She  was  affected,  seemed 
half  willing  to  follow  me,  and  gave  me  two  bridles.  I  led 
"the  horses  to  the  door,  called  Schell,  and  helped  him,  with 
his  lame  leg,  on  horseback.  The  old  peasant  then  began 
to  weep,  and  begged  I  would  not  take  his  horses ;  but  he 
luckily  wanted  courage,  and  perhaps  the  will  to  impede  us, 
for  with  nothing  more  than  a  dung  fork,  in  our  then  feeble 
condition,  he  might  have  stopped  us  long  enough  to  have 
called  in  assistance  from  the  village. 

"And  now  behold  us  on  horseback,  without  hats  or  sad- 
dles— Schell  with  his  uniform  scarf  and  gorget,  and  I  in  my 
red  regimental  coat.  Still  we  were  in  danger  of  seeing  all  our 
hopes  vanish,  for  my  horse  would  not  stir  from  the  stable. 
However,  at  last,  good  horseman-like,  I  made  him  move. 
Schell  led  the  way,  and  we  had  scarcely  gone  a  hundred 
paces  before  we  perceived  the  peasants  coming  in  crowds 
from  the  village.  As  kind  fortune  would  have  it,  the  people 
were  all  at  church,  it  being  a  festival.  It  was  nine  in  the 
morning,  and  had  the  peasants  been  at  home  we  had 
been  lost  without  redemption.  We  were  obliged  to  take 
the  road  to  Wunshelburg,  and  pass  through  the  town  where 
Schell  had  been  quartered  a  month  before,  and  in  which  he 
was  known  by  everybody.  Our  dress,  without  hats  or  sad- 
dles, sufficiently  proclaimed  we  were  deserters ;  our  horses, 
however,  continued  to  go  tolerably  well,  and  we  had  the 
good  luck  to  get  through  the  town,  although  there  was  a 
garrison  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  infantry  and  twelve 
horse  purposely  to  arrest  deserters.  Schell  knew  the  road 
to  Brummen,  where  we  arrived  at  eleven  o'clock,  and  from 
thence  we  went  to  Braunau,  where  we  were  safe." 

During  the  first  few  months  following  his  escape,  Trenck 


DARON    TRENCK.  139 

wandered  about  miserably,  pursued  everywhere  by  the  ven- 
geance of  Frederick,  and  being  obliged  sometimes  to  resist 
sword  in  hand  persons  sent  in  pursuit  of  him.  Proscribed 
in  his  own  country,  he  had  taken  service  with  Austria.  At 
length,  after  a  series  of  adventures,  of  which  he  gives  an  ac- 
count in  his  "Memoirs"  that  bears  all  the  impress  of  sincerity, 
notwithstanding  the  extraordinary  events  to  which  it  refers, 
he  found  himself  at  Dantzic,  where  he  was  delivered  up  to 
the  King  of  Prussia  by  the  treachery  of  the  imperial  resident 
and  the  authorities  of  the  city.  He  was  then  taken  to 
Magdeburg,  and  imprisoned  in  the  citadel. 

"  My  dungeon,"  he  says,  "  was  in  a  casemate,  the  fore 
part  of  which,  six  feet  wide  and  ten  feet  long,  was  divided 
by  a  party  wall.  In  the  inner  wall  were  two  doors,  and  a 
third  at  the  entrance  of  the  casemate  itself.  The  window 
in  the  outer  wall,  which  was  seven  feet  thick,  was  so  situated, 
that  though  I  had  light,  I  could  see  -neither  heaven  nor 
earth,  but  only  the  roof  of  the  magazine  within,  and  outside 
this  window  were  iron  bars,  and  in  the  space  between,  an 
iron  grating,  so  narrow  and  with  such  small  interstices  that 
it  was  impossible  I  should  see  any  per-aipn  without  the  prison 
or  that  any  person  should  see  me.  On  the  outside  was  a 
wooden  palisado  six  feet  from  the  wall,  by  which  the  senti- 
nels were  prevented  conveying  anything  to  me.  I  had  a 
mattress,  and  a  bedstead,  fastened  to  the  floor  by  iron 
cramps  so  firmly  that  it  was  impossible  to  move  it  up  to  the 
window.  Beside  the  door  was  a  small  iron  stove  and  a 
table,  in  like  manner  fixed  to  the  floor.  I  was  not  yet  put 
in  irons,  and  my  allowance  was  a  pound  and  a  half  per 
day  of  ammunition  bread,  and  a  jug  of  water.  From  my 
youth  I  always  had  a  good  appetite,  and  my  bread  was  so 
mouldy  I  could  at  first  scarcely  eat  the  half  of  it.  This 


140  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

was  one  result  of  the  commandant's  avarice,  who  en- 
deavoured to  profit  even  by  the  food  supplies  of  the  unfor- 
tunate prisoners.  It  is  impossible  for  me  to  describe  to 
my  reader  the  excess  of  tortures  that  during  eleven  months 
I  endured  from  ravenous  hunger.  I  could  easily  have  de- 
voured" six  pounds  of  bread  every  day;  and  every  twenty- 
four  hours,  after  having  received  and  swallowed  my  small 
portion  I  continued  as  hungry  as  before  I  began,  yet  I  was 
obliged  to  wait  another  twenty-four  hours  for  a  new  morsel. 
How  willingly  would  I  have  signed  a  bill  of  exchange  for  a 
thousand  ducats,  on  my  property  at  Vienna,  only  to  have 
satiated  my  hunger  on  dry  bread.  Scarcely  had  I  dropped 
into  a  sweet  sleep  before  I  dreamed  I  was  feasting  at  some 
table,  luxuriously  loaded,  where  the  whole  company  were 
astonished  to  see  me,  eating  like  a  glutton,  to  such  an  ex- 
tent was  my  imagination  heated  by  the  sensation  of  famine. 
"Awakened  by  the  pains  of  hunger,  I  used  to  find  that 
the  dishes  had  vanished,  and  that  nothing  remained  but 
the  reality  of  my  distress.  The  cravings  of  nature  were 
but  inflamed,  my  tortures  prevented  sleep,  and  looking  into 
futurity,  the  cruelty  of  my  fate  seemed  to  me,  if  possible 
to  increase,  for  I  imagined  that  the  prolongation  of  pangs 
like  these  was  insupportable.  God  preserve  every  honest 
man  from  sufferings  like  mine !  They  were  not  to  be 
endured  by  the  most  obdurate  villain.  Many  have  fasted 
three  days,  many  have  suffered  want  for  a  week  or  more, 
but  certainly  no  one  beside  myself  ever  endured  it  in  the 
same  excess  for  eleven  months ;  some  have  supposed  that 
to  eat  little  might  become  habitual,  but  I  have  experienced 
the  contrary.  My  hunger  increased  every  day,  and  of  all 
the  trials  of  fortitude  my  whole  life  has  afforded,  this  eleven 
months  was  the  most  bitter. 


BARON   TRENCK.  14! 

"  My  three  doors  were  kept  always  shut,  and  I  was  left  to 
such  meditations  as  such  feelings  and  such  hopes  might 
inspire.  Daily,  about  noon,  or  once  in  twenty-four  hours,  my 
pittance  of  bread  and  water  was  brought.  The  keys  of  all 
the  doors  were  kept  by  the  governor ;  the  inner  door  was 
not  opened,  but  my  bread  and  water  were  delivered  through 
an  aperture.  The  prison  was  opened  only  once  a  week,  on 
a  Wednesday,  when  the  governor  and  town  major  paid  their 
visit,  after  my  den  had  been  cleaned. 

"  Having  remained  thus  two'  months,  and  observed  this 
method  was  invariable,  I  began  to  execute  a  project  I 
had  formed,  and  of  the  possibility  of  which  I  was  con- 
vinced. 

"  Where  the  table  and  stove  stood,  the  floor  was  bricked, 
and  this  paving  extended  to  the  wall  that  separated  my 
casemate  from  the  adjoining  one,  in  which  no  one  was 
confined.  My  window  was  only  guarded  Ly  a  single  sentinel. 
I  therefore  soon  found  among  those  who  successively  re- 
lieved guard,  two  kind-hearted'  fellows,  who  described  to  me 
the  situation  of  my  prison,  whence  I  perceived  I  might  effect 
my  escape,  could  I  but  penetrate  into  the  adjoining  case- 
ment (the  door  of  which  was  not  shut),  and  find  a  friend 
and  a  boat  waiting  for  me  at  the  Elbe.  Or  could  I 
swim  that  river,  the  confines  of  Saxony  were  -  but  a  mile 
distant. 

"  To  describe  my  plan  at  length  would  lead  to  pro- 
lixity, yet  I  must  enumerate  some  of  its  main  features, 
as  it  was  remarkably  intricate  and  it  involved  gigantic 
labour. 

"  I  worked  through  the  iron,  eighteen  inches  long,  by 
which  the  table  was  fastened,  and  broke  off  the  clinchings 
of  the  nails,  but  preserved  their  heads,  that  I  might  put 


142  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

them  again  in  their  places,  that  all  might  appear  secure  to 
my  weekly  visitors.  This  procured  me  tools  to  raise  up 
the  brick  floor,  under  which  I  found  earth.  My  first  attempt 
was  to  work  a  hole  through  the  wall,  seven  feet  thick 
behind,  and  concealed  by  the  table.  The  first  layer  was  of 
brick ;  I  afterwards  came  to  large  hewn  stones.  I  endea- 
voured accurately  to  number  and  remember  the  bricks, 
both  of  the  flooring  and  the  wall,  so  that  I  might  replace 
them,  that  all  might  appear  safe.  This  having  been  accom- 
plished, I  awaited  the  day  of  visitation.  All  was  carefully 
replaced,  and  the  intervening  mortar  as  carefully  preserved. 
The  cell  had  probably  been  whitewashed  a  hundred  times, 
and,  that  I  might  fill  up  all  remaining  interstices,  I  pounded 
the  white  stuff  from  the  walls,  wetted  it,  made  a  brush 
of  my  hair,  washed  it  over,  that  the  colour  might  be 
uniform,  and  afterwards  stripped  myself,  and  sat,  with  my 
naked  body  against  the  place,  by  the  heat  of  which  it  was 
dried.  . 

"While  labouring,  I  placed  the  stones  and  bricks  upon  my 
bedstead ;  and  had  they  taken  the  precaution  to  come  at 
any  other  time  of  the  week,  the  stated  Wednesday  excepted, 
I  had  inevitably  been  discovered ;  but  as  no  such  ill  acci- 
dent befell  me,  in  six  months  my  Herculean  labours  gave 
me  a  prospect  of  success.  , 

"  Means  were  to  be  found  to  remove  the  rubbish  from  my 
prison,  all  of  which,  in  so  thick  a  wall,  it  was  impossible 
to  replace.  Mortar  and  stone  could  not  be  removed.  I 
therefore  took  the  earth,  scattered  it  about  my  chamber, 
and  ground  it  under  my  feet  the  whole  day,  till  I  had 
reduced  it  to  dust,  which  I  strewed  in  the  aperture  of  my 
window,  making  use  of  the  loosened  table  to  stand  upon. 
I  tied  splinters  from  my  bedstead  together,  with  the  ravelled 


BARON   THENCK.  143 

yarn  of  an  old  stocking,  and  to  this  I  affixed  a  tuft  of  my 
hair.  I  worked  a  large  hole  under  the  middle  grating, 
which  could  not  be  seen  by  any  one  standing  on  the 
ground,  and  through  this  I  pushed  my  dust  with  the  tool 
I  had  prepared  in  the  outer  window,  then  waiting  till  the 
wind  rose,  during  the  night  I  brushed  it  away.  It 
was  blown  off,  and  no  appearance  remained  on  the 
outside. 

"  By  this  single  expedient,  I  rid  myself  of  at  least  three 
hundredweight  of  earth,  and  thus  made  room  to  continue 
my  labours  ;  yet  this  being  still  insufficient,  I  had  recourse 
to  many  other  artifices,  among  them  that  of  kneading  up 
the  earth  into  little  balls  which,  and  when  the  sentinel's 
back  was  turned,  I  blew  through  a  paper  tube,  out  of  the 
window.  Into  the  empty  space  I  put  my  mortar  and 
stones,  and  worked  on  successfully. 

"  I  cannot,  however,  describe  my  difficulties  after  having 
penetrated  about  two  feet  into  the  hewn  stone.  My  tools 
were  the  irons  I  had  dug  out,  which  fastened  my  bedstead 
and  table.  A  compassionate  soldier  also  gave  me  an  old 
iron  ramrod,  and  a  soldier's  sheath  knife,  which  did  me  ex- 
cellent service,  more  especially  the  latter,  as  I  shall  presently 
more  fully  show.  With  the  knife  I  cut  splinters  from  my 
bedstead,  which  aided  me  to  pick  the  mortar  from  the  in- 
terstices of  the  stone  ;  yet  the  labour  of  penetrating  through 
this  seven-feet  wall  was  incredible.  The  building  was  ancient, 
and  the  mortar  occasionally  quite  petrified,  so  that  the  whole 
stone  was  obliged  to  be  reduced  to  dust.  After  continuing  ' 
my  work  unremittingly  for  six  months,  I  at  length  approached 
the  accomplishment  of  my  hopes,  as  I  knew  by  coming  to 
the  facing  of  brick  which  alone  remained  between  me  and 
the  adjoining  casemate. 


Z^4  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

"  Meantime,  I  found  opportunity  to  speak  to  some 
of  the  sentinels,  among  whom  was  an  old  grenadier, 
called  Gethardt,  whom  I  he^e  name  because  he  dis- 
played qualities  of  the  greyest  and  most  noble  kind. 
From  him  I  learned  the  precise  situation  of  my  prison, 
and  every  circumstance  that  might  best  conduce  to  my 
escape. 

"Nothing  was  wanting  but  money  to  buy  a  boat,  so  cross- 
ing the  Elbe  with  Gefhardt,  I  might  take  refuge  in  Saxony. 
By  Gefhardt's  means  I  became  acquainted  with  a  kind- 
hearted  girl, ,  a  Jewess,  and  a  native  of  Dessau,  Esther 
Heymannin  by  name,  whose  father  had  been  ten  years  in 
prison.  This  good,  compassionate  maiden,  whom  I  had 
never  seen,  won  over  two  grenadiers,  who  gave  her  an  op- 
portunity of  speaking  ',o  me  every  time  they  stood  sentinel. 
By  tying  my  splinter?  together,  I  made  a  stick  long  enough 
to  reach  beyond  th2  palisadoes  that  were  before  my 
window,  and  thus  obtained  paper,  another  knife,  and 
a  file.  r 

"  I  now  wrote  to  my  sister,  the  wife  of  the  before-men- 
tioned only  son  of  General  Waldow,  described  my  awful 
situation,  and  entreated  her  to  remit  three  hundred  rix- 
dollars  to  the  Jewess,  hoping  by  this  means  I  might  escape 
from  my  prison.  I  then  wrote  another  affecting  letter  to 
Count  Puebla,  the  Austrian  ambassador  at  Berlin,  in  which 
was  enclosed  a  draft  for  a  thousand  florins  on  my  effects  at 
Vienna,  desiring  him  to  remit  these  to  the  Jewess,  having 
promised  her  that  sum  as  a  reward  for  her  fidelity.  She 
was  to  bring  the  three  hundred  rix  dollars  my  sister  should 
send  me,  and  take  measures  with  the  grenadiers  to  facilitate 
my  flight,  which  nothing  seemed  able  to  prevent ;  I  having 
the  power  either  to  break  into  the  casemate,  or,  aided  by 


BARON    TRENCK.  145 

the  grenadiers  and  the  Jewess,  to  cut  the  locks  from  the 
doors  and  that  way  escape  my  dungeon.  The  letters  were 
open,  I  being  obliged  to  roll  them  round  the  stick  to  convey 
them  to  Esther. 

"  The  faithful  girl  diligently  proceeded  to  Berlin,  where 
she  arrived  safely,  and  immediately  spoke  to  Count  Puebla. 
The  Count  gave  her  the  kindest  reception,  received  the 
letter,  with  the  letter  of  exchange,  and  bade  her  go  and 
speak  to  -Weingarten,  the  secretary  of  the  embassy,  and  act 
entirely  as  he  should  direct.  She  was  received  by  Weingar- 
ten in  the  most  friendly  manner,  and  he,  by  his  questions, 
drew  from  her  the  whole  secret,  our  intended  plan  of  flight, 
and  the  names  of  the  two  grenadiers  who  were  to  aid  us. 
She  told  him  also  that  she  had  a  letter  for  my  sister,  which 
she  must  carry  to  Hammer,  near  Custrin. 

"  He  asked  to  see  this  letter,  read  it,  told  her  to  proceed 
on  her  journey,  gave  her  two  ducats  to  bear  her  expenses, 
and  ordered  her  to  come  to  him  on  her  return  ;  adding  that 
during  this  interval  he  would  endeavour  to  obtain  the  thou- 
sand florins  for  my  draft,  and  would  then  give  her  further 
instructions. 

"Esther  cheerfully  departed  for  Hammer,  where  my  sister, 
then  a  widow,  and  no  longer,  as  in  1746,  in  dread  of  her 
husband,  immediately  gave  her  a  letter  to  me,  with  three 
hundred  rix  dollars,  exhorting  her  to  exert  every  possible 
means  to  obtain  my  deliverance.  Having  prospered  so 
far,  Esther  hastened  back  to  Berlin,  with  the  letter  from 
my  sister,  and  told  Weingarten  all  that  passed,  whom  she 
allowed  to  read  the  letter.  He  told  her  the  two  thousand 
florins  from  Vienna  were  not  yet  come,  but  gave  her  twelve 
ducats,  bade  her  hasten  back  to  Magdeburg,  to  carry  me 
all  this  good  news,  and  then  return  to  Berlin,  where  he 

L 


146  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

would  pay  her  the  thousand  florins.  Esther  came  to  Mag- 
deburg, -went  immediately  to  the  citadel,  and  most  luckily 
met  the  wife  of  one  of  the  grenadiers,  who  told  her  that 
her  husband  and  his  comrade  had  been  taken  and  put  in 
irons  the  day  before.  Esther's  quickness  of  perception 
told  her  that  we  had  been  betrayed :  she,  therefore,  instantly 
again  began  her  travels,  and  happily  came  safe  to  Dessau." 

One  of  the  grenadiers  was  hung,  the  other  cruelly  tor- 
tured. Trenck's  sister  was  condemned  to  pay  a  heavy  fine, 
and  the  expenses  of  building  a  new  cell  for  her  brother. 
Trenck  did  not  know  at  first  what  had  happened,  but  he 
was  soon  informed  of  it  by  Gefhardt,who  told  him  that  his 
new  prison  would  be  finished  in  a  month.  Frederic,  who 
had  come  to  Magdebourg  to  a  hold  a  review,  himself  de- 
signed the  chains  for  the  limbs  of  his  victim.  Meanwhile 
Trenck  was  still  in  hopes  of  regaining  his  liberty.  As  yet 
nothing  had  been  discovered  of  his  subterranean  operations. 
His  preparations  were  at  length  finished,  and  he  was  getting 
ready  to  fly  during  the  night,  when  suddenly  the  doors  were 
opened ;  he  was  seized,  and  bound  hand  and  foot ;  a 
bandage  was  placed  over  his  eyes,  and  he  was  dragged  away 
to  his  new  cell.  His  feelings  are  best  described  in  his  own 
words  : — 

"  The  bandage  was  taken  from  my  eyes.  The  dungeon 
was  lighted  by  a  few  torches.  Great  heaven  !  what  were 
my  feelings  when  I  beheld  the  floor  covered  with  chains,  a 
fire  pan,  and  two  grim  men  standing  with  their  smiths' 
hammers.  «, 

"  These  engines  of  despotism  went  to  work  at  once : 
enormous  chains  were  fixed  to  my  ancles  at  one  end,  and 
at  the  other  to  a  ring  which  was  fixed  in  the  wall.  This 
ring  was  three  feet  from  the  ground,  and  only  allowed  me 


BARON  TRENCK.  147 

to  move  about  two  or  three  feet  to  the  right  and  left.  They 
nexc  riveted  another  huge  iron  ring  of  a  hand's  breadth 
round  my  naked  body,  to  which  hung  a  chain  fixed  into 
an  iron  bar  as  thick  as  a  man's  arm.  This  bar  was  two 
feet  in  length,  and  at  each  end  of  it  was  a  handcuff.  The 
iron  collar  round  my  neck  was  not  added  till  the  year  1756. 

"  No  soul  bade  me  good-night.  All  retired  in  dreadful 
silence,  and  I  heard  the  horrible  grating  of  four  doors  that 
were  successively  locked  and  bolted  upon  me. 

"  Thus  does  man  act  by  his  fellow,  knowing  him  to  be 
innocent,  in  blind  obedience  to  the  commands  of  another 
man.  „ 

"O  God  !  Thou  alone  knowest  how  my  heart,  void  as  it 
was  of  guilt,  beat  at  this  moment.  There  I  sat,  destitute, 
alone,  in  thick  darkness,  upon  the  bare  earth,  with  a  weight 
of  fetters  insupportable  to  nature,  thanking  Thee  that  these 
cruel  men  had  not  discovered  my  knife  by  which  my 
miseries  might  yet  find  an  end.  Death  is  a  last  certain 
refuge  that  can  indeed  bid  defiance  to  the  rage  of  tyranny. 
What  shall  I  say.  How  shall  I  make  the  reader  feel  as  I 
then  felt?  How  describe  my  despondency,  and  yet  account 
for  that  latent  impulse  that  withheld  my  hand  on  this  fatal, 
this  miserable  night  ? 

"  The  misery  I  foresaw  was  not  of  short  duration.  I 
had  heard  of  the  wars  that  were  lately  broken  out  between 
Austria  and  Prussia.  To  patiently  wait  their  termination 
amid  sufferings  and  wretchedness  such  as  mine,  appeared 
impossible,  and  freedom  even  then  was  doubtful.  Sad  ex- 
perience had  I  had  of  Vienna,  and  well  I  knew  that  those 
who  had  despoiled  me  of  my  property  would  most  anxiously 
endeavour  to  prevent  my  return.  Such  were  my  medita- 
tions, such  my  night  thoughts.  Day  at  length  returned, 

L  2 


148  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

but  where  was  its  splendour?     I  beheld  it  not,  yet  its  glim- 
mering obscurity  was  sufficient  to  show  me  my  dungeon. 

"  In  breadth,  the  cell  was  about  eight  feet ;  in  length, 
ten.  Near  me  stood  a  table ;  in  a  corner  was  a  seat  four 
bricks  broad,  on  which  I  might  sit  and  recline  against  the 
wall  opposite  to  the  ring  to  which  I  was  fastened;  the  light 
was  admitted  through  a  semicircular  aperture  one  foot 
high,  and  two  in  diameter.  This  aperture  ascended  to 
the  centre  of  the  wall,  which  was  six  feet  thick,  and 
at  this  central  part  was  a  close  iron  grating  from  which 
outward  the  aperture  descended,  having  its  two  extremities 
again  closely  secured  by  strong  iron  bars.  My  dungeon 
was  built  in  the  ditch  of  the  fortification,  and  the  aperture 
by  which  the  light  entered  was  so  covered  by  the  wall  of 
the  rampart,  that  instead  of  finding  immediate  passage,  the 
light  only  gained  admission  by  reflection.  This,  considering 
the  smallness  of  the  aperture  and  the  impediments  of  grating 
and  iron  bars,  made  the  obscurity  very  great,  yet  my  eyes 
in  time  became  so  accustomed  to  this  gloom,  that  I  could 
see  a  mouse  run.  In  Avinter,  however,  when  the  sun  did 
not  shine  into  the  ditch,  it  was  dense  night  with  me. 
Between  the  bars  and  the  grating  was  a  glass  window,  most 
curiously  formed,  with  a  small  central  casement,  which  might 
be  opened  to  admit  the  air.  The  name  of  Trenck  was  built 
in  the  wall  in  red  brick,  and  under  my  feet  was  a  tombstone 
with  the  name  of  Trenck  also  cut  on  it,  and  carved  with  a 
death's  head.  The  doors  to  my  dungeon  were  double,  of 
oak,  two  inches  thick  ;  without,. there  was  an  open  space  in 
front  of  the  cell,  in  which  was  a  window.  And  this  space 
was  likewise  shut  in  by  double  doors.  The  ditch  in  which 
this  dreadful  den  was  built  was  inclosed  on  both  sides  by 
palisadoes  twelve  feet  high,  the  key  of  the  gate  of  which 


BARON   TRENCK.  149 

was  intrusted  to  the  officer  of  the  guard,  it  being  the  king's 
intention  to  prevent  all  possibility  of  speech  or  communica- 
tion with  the  sentinel.  The  only  motion  I  had  the  power 
to  make  was  that  of  jumping  upward,  or  swinging  my  arms 
to  procure  myself  warmth.  When  more  accustomed  to  the 
fetters,  I  became  capable  of  moving  from  side  to  side  about 
four  feet,  but  this  pained  my  shin-bones. 

The  cell  had  been  finished  with  lime  and  plaster  but 
eleven  days,  and  everybody  supposed  it  impossible  I  should 
exist  above  a  fortnight  after  breathing  the  damp  air.  I 
remained  six  months,  continually  drenched  with  very  cold 
water,  that  trickled  upon  me  from  the  thick  arches  above ; 
and  I  can  safely  affirm  that  for  the  first  three  months  I 
was  never  dry,  yet  I  continued  in  health.  I  was  visited  daily 
at  noon,  after  the  relieving  of  guard,  and  the  doors  were 
then  obliged  to  be  left  open  for  some  minutes,  otherwise  the 
dampness  of  the  air  put  out  my  gaolers'  candles. 

"  This  was  my  situation.  And  here  I  sat,  destitute  of 
friends,  helplessly  wretched,  preyed  on  by  all  the  tortures  of 
an  imagination  that  continually  suggested  the  most  gloomy, 
the  most  horrid,  the  most  dreadful  of  images.  My  heart 
was  not  yet  wholly  turned  to  stone ;  my  fortitude  was  re- 
duced to  despondency;  my  dungeon  was  the  very  cave 
of  despair ;  yet  was  my  arm  restrained,  and  this  excess  of 
misery  endured. 

"  How,  then,  may  hope  be  wholly  eradicated  from  the 
heart  of  man?  My  fortitude,  after  some  time,  began  to 
revive.  I  glowed  with  the  desire  of  convincing  the  world  I 
was  capable  of  suffering  what  man  had  never  suffered  be- 
fore, perhaps  of,  at  last,  emerging  from  beneath  this  load  of 
wretchedness  triumphant  over  my  enemies.  So  long  and 
ardently  did  my  fancy  dwell  on  this  picture  that  my  mind 


I5O  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

at  length  acquired  a  heroism  which  Socrates  himself  cer- 
tainly never  possessed.  Age  had  benumbed  his  sense  of 
pleasure,  and  he  drank  the  poisonous  draught  with  cool 
indifference ;  but  I  was  young,  inured  to  high  hopes,  yet 
now  beholding  deliverance  impossible,  or  at  an  immense, 
a  dreadful  distance.  Such,  too,  were  my  other  sufferings 
of  soul  and  body  that  I  could  not  hope  and  live. 

"  About  noon  my  door  was  opened.  Sorrow  and  com- 
passion were  painted  on  the  countenances  of  my  keepers ; 
no  one  spoke,  no  one  bade  me  '  Good  morrow  !'  Dreadful, 
indeed,  was  the  sound  of  their  arrival ;  for  the  monstrous 
bolts  and  bars  moved  with  difficulty,  and  the  noise  of  their 
removal  would  be  resounding  for  a  good  half  hour  through 
the  vaults  of  the  prison. 

"  But  at  length  a  camp  bed,  mattress,  and  blankets  were 
brought  me,  and  beside  it  an  ammunition  loaf  of  six  pounds' 
weight.  'That  you  may  no  more  complain  of  hunger,'  said 
the  town  major,  when  the  loaf  was  laid  before  me,  '  you  shall 
have  as  much  bread  as  you  can  eat.'  The  door  was  shut, 
and  I  again  left  to  my  thoughts." 

For  eleven  months  Trenck  had  been  dying  of  hunger, 
and  he  devoured  the  bread  so  greedily  that  repletion  nearly 
finished  what  starvation  had  begun,  and  he  became  seriously 
ill.  When  he  had  somewhat  recovered  he  began  anew  to 
meditate  a  scheme  of  escape. 

"  I  observed,  as  the  four  doors  of  my  cell  were  opened, 
that  they  were  only  of  wood  ;  I  therefore  considered  whether 
I  might  not  even  cut  off  the  locks  with  the  knife  that  I  had 
so  fortunately  concealed  ;  •  and  should  this  and  every  other 
means  fail,  then  would  be  the  time  to  die.  I  likewise  deter- 
mined to  make  an  attempt  to  free  myself  of  my  chains.  I 
happily  forced  my  right  hand  through  the  handcuffs,  though 


BARON  TRENCK.  15! 

the  blood  trickled  from  my  nails.  My  attempts  on  the  left 
were  long  ineffectual,  but  by  rubbing  with  a  brick,  which  I 
got  from  my  seat,  on  a  rivet  that  had  been  negligently 
closed,  I  effected  this  also. 

"  The  chain  was  fastened  to  the  ring  round  my  body  by  a 
hook,  the  end  of  which  was  not  inserted  in  the  ring;  therefore, 
by  setting  my  foot  against  the  wall,  I  had  strength  enough  so 
far  to  bend  this  hook  back,  and  open  it,  as  to  force  out  the 
link  of  the  chain.  The  remaining  difficulty  was  the  chain 
that  attached  my  foot  to  the  wall ;  the  links  of  this  I  took? 
doubled,  twisted,  and  wrenched,  till  at  length,  nature  having 
bestowed  on  me  great  strength,  I  made  a  desperate  effort, 
sprang  forcibly  up,  and  two  links  at  once  flew  off.  Fortunate 
indeed  did  I  think  myself.  I  hastened  to  the  door,  groped 
in  the  dark  to  find  the  clinching-s  of  the  nails  by  which 
the  lock  was  fastened,  and  discovered  no  very  large  piece 
of  wood  need  be  cut.  Immediately  I  went  to  work  with  my 
knife,  and  cut  through  the  oak  door  to  find  its  thickness, 
which  proved  to  be  only  one  inch,  therefore  it  was  possible 
to  open  all  the  four  doors  in  four  and  twenty  hours. 

"  Again  hope  revived  in  my  heart.  To  prevent  discovery 
I  hastened  to  put  on  my  chains ;  but,  O  Heaven !  what 
difficulties  had  I  to  surmount.  After  much  groping  about, 
I  at  length  found  the  link  that  had  flown  off,  but  this  I  hid. 
It  had  hitherto  been  my  good  fortune  to  escape  examina- 
tion, as  the  possibility  of  ridding  myself  of  such  chains  was 
in  no  wise  suspected.  The  separated  iron  links  I  tied  to- 
gether with  my  hair  ribbon ;  but  when  I  again  endeavoured 
to  force  my  hand  into  the  ring,  it  was  so  swelled  that  every 
effort  was  fruitless.  The  whole  night  was  employed  upon 
the  rivet,  but  all  labour  was  in  vain. 

"It  was  near  the  hour  of  visitation,  and  necessity  and 


152  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES 

clanger  again  obliged  me  to  attempt  forcing  my  hand  through 
the  ring,  an  operation  at  length,  after  excruciating  tortures, 
I  effected.  My  visitors  came,  and  everything  had  the  ap- 
pearance of  order.  I  found  it,  however,  impossible  to  again 
free  my  right  hand  while  it  continued  swelled. 

"I  therefore  remained  quiet  for  the  time;  and  on  the 
fourth  of  July,  the  day  I  had  fixed  for  my  attempt,  the 
moment  my  visitors  had  left  me,  I  disencumbered  myself  of 
irons,  took  my  knife  and  began  my  Herculean  labours  on 
the  doors.  The  first  of  them  that  opened  inwards  was 
conquered  in  less  than  an  hour.  "The  other  was  a  very 
different  task.  The  lock  was  soon  cut  round,  but  it  opened 
outwards ;  there  was,  therefore,  no  other  means  left  but  to 
out  the  whole  door  away  above  the  bar.  Incessant  and 
incredible  labour  made  this  possible,  though  it  was  the  more 
difficult  as  everything  was  to  be  done  by  feeling,  as  I  was 
totally  in  the  dark;  the  sweat  dropped,  or  rather  flowed 
from  my  body.  My  fingers  were  clotted  in  my  own  blood, 
and  my  lacerated  hands  were  one  continued  wound. 

"  Daylight  appeared.  I  clambered  over  the  door  that 
I  had  cut  through,  and  got  up  to  the  window  in  the  space 
or  cell  that  was  between  the  double  doors  as  before  de- 
scribed. Here  I  saw  that  my  dungeon  was  in  the  ditch  of 
the  first  rampart ;  before  me  I  saw  the  road  from  the  ram- 
part, the  guard  but  fifty  paces  distant,  and  the  high  palisades 
that  were  in  the  ditch,  and  must  be  scaled  before  I  could 
reach  the  rampart.  Hope  grew  stronger.  My  efforts  were 
redoubled.  The  first  of  the  next  double  doors  was  attacked, 
which  likewise  opened  inward,  and  was  soon  conquered. 
The  sun  set  before  I  had  ended  this,  and  the  fourth  was 
cut  away  as  the  second  had  been.  My  strength  failed, 
both  my  hands  were  raw.  I  rested  awhile,  began  again,  and 


BARON   TRENCK.  153 

had  made  a  cut  of  a  foot  long  when  my  knife  snapped,  and 
the  broken  blade  dropped  to  the  ground." 

Seeing  all  his  dreams  of  liberty  thus  vanish  in  a  moment, 
the  unfortunate  prisoner,  abandoning  himself  to  despair, 
opened  the  veins  of  his  left  arm  and  foot  with  the  broken 
blade. 

"  I  fainted,  and  I  know  not  how  long  I  remained  in  this 
state.  Suddenly  I  heard  my  own  name,  awoke,  and  again 
heard  the  words,  '  Baron  Trenck  ! '  '  Who  calls  ? '  was  my 
answer.  And  who  indeed  was  it  to  be  but  my  loved  grena- 
dier Gefhardt — my  former  faithful  friend  in  the  citadel. 
The  good,  the  kind  fellow  had  got  upon  the  rampart  that 
he  might  see  and  comfort  me. 

" '  In  what  state  are  you  ? '  said  Gefhardt  '  Weltering  in 
my  blood,'  answered  I ;  '  to-morrow  you  will  find  me  dead.' 
'  Why  should  you  die?'  replied  he.  '  It  is  much  easier  for 
you  to  escape  from  this  place  than  from  the  citadel.  There 
is  no  sentinel  here,  and  I  shall  soon  find  means  to  furnish 
you  with  tools.  If  you  can  only  break  out,  leave  the  rest  to 
me.  As  often  as  I  am  on  guard,  I  will  seek  an  opportunity 
to  speak  to  you.  In  the  whole  of  the  Star  Fort  there  are 
only  two  sentinels,  the  one  at  the  entrance  and  the  other 
at  the  guard-house.  Do  not  despair,  God  will  help  you, 
trust  to  me.'  The  good  man's  kindness  and  his  words 
revived  my  hopes.  I  saw  the  possibility  of  my  escape.  A 
secret  joy  diffused  itself  through  my  soul.  I  immediately 
tore  my  shirt,  bound  up  my  wounds,  and  waited  the  approach 
of  day ;  and  the  sun  soon  after  shone  through  my  window 
with  more  than  its  accustomed  brightness. 

"  Till  noon  I  had  time  to  consider  what  might  further  be 
done  :  yet  what  could  be  done  ?  What  could  be  expected 
but  that  I  should  now  be  much  more  cruelly  treated,  and 


154  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

even  more  msupportably  ironed  than  before,  finding  as  they 
must  the  doors  cut  through  and  my  fetters  shaken  off. 

"After  mature  consideration  I  therefore  made  the  following 
resolution,  which  succeeded  happily,  and  even  beyond  my 
hopes.  Before  I  proceed,  however,  I  will  speak  a  few  words 
concerning  my  situation  at  this  moment.  It  is  impossible 
to  describe  how  much  I  was  exhausted.  The  prison  swam 
with  blood,  and  certainly  but  little  was  left  in  my  body. 
With  painful  wounds,  swelled  and  torn  hands,  I  stood  shirt- 
less in  my  cell.  I  felt  an  almost  irresistible  inclination  to 
sleep,  scarcely  had  strength  to  keep  my  legs  out,  and  I  was 
obliged  to  rouse  -myself  that  I  might  execute  my  plan. 

"  With  the  bar  that  separated  my  hands  I  loosened  the 
bricks  of  my  seat,  which  as  they  were  newly  laid,  was  easily 
done,  and  heaped  them  up  in  the  middle  of  my  prison. 
The  inner  door  was  quite  open,  and  with  my  chains  I  so 
barricaded  the  upper  half  of  the  second,  as  to  prevent  any 
one  climbing  over  it.  When  noon  came,  and  the  first  of  the 
doors  was  unlocked,  all  were  astonished  to  find  the  second 
open.  There  I  stood,  besmeared  with  blood,  the  picture  oi 
horror,  with  a  brick  in  one  hand,  and  in  the  other  my 
broken  knife,  crying  as  they  approached,  '  Keep  off,  major, 
keep  off.  Tell  the  governor  I  will  live  no  longer  in  chains, 
and  that  here  I  stand  if  he  pleases,  to  be  shot,  for  so  only 
will  I  be  conquered.  No  man  shall  enter;  I  will  destroy 
every  one  that  approaches ;  here  are  my  weapons ;  I  will 
die  in  despite  of  tyranny.'  The  major  was  terrified,  and 
lacking  resolution  to  approach,  made  his  report  to  the 
governor.  I,  mean  time,  sat  down  on  my  bricks  to  await 
what  might  happen.  My  second  intent,  however,  was  not 
so  desperate  as  it  appeared.  I  sought  only  to  obtain  a 
favourable  capitulation. 


The  first  grenadier  I  knocked  down. 


BARON    TRENCK.  155 

"  The  governor-general,  Borck,  presently  came,  attended 
by  the  town  major  and  some  officers.  He  entered  the  outer 
cell,  but  sprang  back  the  moment  he  beheld  a  figure  like 
me,  standing  with  a  brick  and  uplifted  arm.  I  repeated 
what  I  had  told  the  major,  and  he  immediately  ordered  six 
grenadiers  to  force  the  door.  The  front  cell  was  scarcely 
six  feet  broad,  so  that  no  more  than  two  at  a  time  could 
attack  my  intrenchment,  and  when  they  saw  my  threatening 
bricks  ready  to  descend,  they  leaped  back  in  terror.  A  short 
pause  ensued,  and  the  old  town  major,  with  the  chaplain, 
advanced  towards  the  door  to  soothe  me  :  the  conversation 
continued  some  time  to  no  purpose.  The  governor  grew 
angry,  and  ordered  a  fresh  attack.  The  first  grenadier  1 
knocked  down,  and  the  rest  ran  back  to  avoid  my  missiles. 

"The  town  major  again  began  a  parley.  'For  God's 
sake,  my  dear  Trenck,'  said  he,  'in  what  have  I  injured  you, 
that  you  endeavour  to  effect  my  ruin  ?  I  must  answer  for 
your  having  through  my  negligence  concealed  a  knife  ;  be 
persuaded,  I  entreat  you ;  be  appeased.  You  are  not  without 
hope  or  without  friends/  My  answer  was,  '  But  will  you 
promise  not  to  load  me  with  heavier  irons  than  before?' 

"He  went  out  and  spoke  with  the  governor,  and  gave 
me  his  word  of  honour  that  the  affair  should  be  no  further 
noticed,  and  that  everything  should  be  reinstated  as  formerly. 

"  Here  ended  the  capitulation,  and  my  wretched  citadel 
was  taken." 

The  state  of  the  unfortunate  prisoner  excited  commiser- 
ation, and  he  was  attended  with  great  care,  and  supplied 
with  everything  needful  to  his  recovery.  For  four  days  he 
was  suffered  to  remain  out  of  irons,  but  on  the  fifth  he  was 
again  fettered,  and  new  doors,  one  of  them  of  double  thick- 
ness, were  set  up  in  place  of  those  he  had  destroyed. 


1$6  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

Gefhardt  came  on  guard  soon  after  this,  and  he  at  once 
began  to  concert  with  Trenck  measures  for  a  new  attempt  at 
flight.  He  furnished  him  with  writing  materials,  and  under- 
took to  post  a  letter  to  a  friend  of  the  prisoner,  in  Vienna. 
This  friend  sent  back  some  money,  which  Gefhardt  found 
means  to  convey  to  the  prisoner  while  handing  him  his  food. 

"  Having  money  to  carry  on  my  designs,  I  began  to  put 
into  execution  my  plan,  of  burrowing  under  the  foundation. 
The  first  thing  necessary  was  to  free  myself  from  my  fetters. 
To  accomplish  this  Gefhardt  supplied  me  with  two  small 
files,  and  by  the  aid  of  these  this  operation,  though  a 
difficult  one,  was  effected. 

"The  cap  or  staple  of  the  foot-ring  was  made  so  wide  that 
I  could  draw  it  forward  a  quarter  of  an  inch.  I  filed  the 
iron  which  passed  through  it  on  the  inside ;  the  more  I  filed 
this  away  the  farther  I  could  draw  the  cap  down,  till  at  last 
the  whole  inside  iron  through  which  the  chains  passed  was 
cut  quite  through ;  by  this  means  I  could  slip  off  the  ring, 
while  the  cap  on  the  outside  continued  whole,  and  it  was 
impossible  to  discover  any  cut,  as  only  the  outside  could  be 
examined.  My  hands,  by  continued  efforts,  I  so  compressed, 
as  to  be  able  to  draw  them  out  of  the  handcuffs.  I  then 
filed  off  the  hinge,  and  made  a  screw-driver  of  one  of  the 
foot-long  flooring  nails,  with  which  I  could  take  out  the 
screws^at  pleasure.  The  rim  round  my  body  was  but  a 
small  impediment,  \fere  it  not  for  the  chain  which  passed 
from  my  hand  bar,  and  this  I  removed  by  filing  an  aperture 
in  one  of  the  links,  which  at  the  necessary  hour  I  closed  with 
bread  rubbed  over  with  rusty  iron,  first  drying  it  with  the 
heat  of  my  body ;  and  I  would  wager  any  sum  that,  without 
striking  the  chain  link  by  link  with  a  hammer,  no  one  not 
in  the  secret  would  have  discovered  the  fracture. 


BARON    TRENCK.  157 

"  The  window  was  never  strictly  examined.  I  therefore 
drew  the  two  staples  by  which  the  iron  bars  were  fixed  to 
the  wall,  daily  replacing  and  carefully  plastering  them  over. 
I  procured  wire  from  Gefhardt,  and  tried  how  well  I  could 
imitate  the  inner  grating.  Finding  I  succeeded  tolerably, 
I  cut  the  real  grating  totally  away,  and  substituted  an  arti- 
ficial one  of  my  own  making,  by  which  I  obtained  a  free 
communication  with  the  outside,  additional  fresh  air,  to- 
gether with  all  necessary  implements,  tinder  and  candles. 

"  In  order  that  the  light  might  not  be  seen,  I  hung  the 
coverlet  of  my  bed  before  the  window,  so  that  I  could  work 
fearless  and  undetected.  The  floor  of  my  dungeon  was  not 
of  stone,  but  of  oak  plank  three  inches  thick,  three  beds 
of  which  were  laid  crossways,  and  were  fastened  to  each 
other  by  nails  half  an  inch  in  diameter  and  a  foot  long. 
Having  worked  round  the  head  of  a  nail,  I  made  use  of 
the  hole  at  the  end  of  the  bar  which  separated  my  hands 
to  draw  it  out,  and  this  nail,  sharpened  upon  my  tombstone, 
made  an  excellent  chisel. 

"I  now  cut  through  the  board  more  than  an  inch  in  width, 
that  I  might  work  downwards,  and  having  drawn  away  a 
piece  of  wood  which  was  inserted  two  inches  under  the 
wall,  I  cut  this  so  as  to  exactly  fit  The  small  crevice  it 
occasioned  I  stopped  up  with  bread,  and  strewed  over  with 
dust,  so  as  to  prevent  all  suspicions.  My  labour  under 
this  was  continued  with  less  precaution,  and  I  had  soon 
worked  through  my  nine-inch  planks.  Under  them  I  came 
to  a  fine  white  sand,  on  which  the  Star  Fort  was  built.  My 
chips  I  carefully  distributed  beneath  the  boards,  but  I  soon 
saw  that,  if  I  had  not  help  from  without,  I  could  proceed  no 
farther ;  for  it  would  be  useless  to  dig,  unless  I  could  rid 
myself  of  my  rubbish. 


158  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

"  Gefhardt  supplied  me  with  some  ells  of  cloth,  of  which 
I  made  long  narrow  bags,  stuffed  them  with  earth,  and 
passed  them  between  the  iron  bars  to  Gefhardt,  who,  as  he 
was  on  guard,  scattered  or  conveyed  away  their  contents. 
Furnished  with  room  to  secrete  them  under  the  floor,  I 
obtained  more  instruments,  together  with  a  pair  of  pistols, 
powder,  ball,  and  a  bayonet.  I  now  discovered  that  the 
foundation  of  my  prison,  instead  of  two,  was  sunk  four  feet 
deep.  Time,  labour,  and  patience  were  all  necessary  to 
break  out  unheard  and  undiscovered ;  but  few  things  are 
impossible  where  resolution  is  not  wanting. 

"  The  hole  I  made  was  obliged  to  be  four  feet  deep, 
corresponding  with  the  foundation,  and  wide  enough  to 
kneel  and  to  stoop  in.  The  lying  down  on  the  floor  to  work, 
the  continual  stooping  to  throw  out  the  earth,  the  narrow 
space  in  which  all  must  be  performed, — these  made  the  la- 
bour incredible ;  and  after  this  daily  labour,  all  things  were 
to  be  replaced,  and  my  chains  again  resumed,  which  alone 
required  some  hours  to  effect 

"  I  now  continued  my  labour,  and  found  it  very  possible 
to  break  out  under  the  foundation,  but  Gefhardt  had  been 
so  terrified  by  the  late  accident,  that  he  started  a  thousand 
difficulties,  in  proportion  as  my  end  was  more  nearly  accom- 
plished ;  and  at  the  moment  when  I  wished  to  concert  with 
him  the  means  of  flight,  he  persisted  that  it  was  necessary  to 
find  additional  help  to  escape  in  safety,  and  not  bring  both 
him  and  myself  to  destruction.  At  length  we  came  to  a 
new  determination,  which,  however,  after  eight  months'  in- 
cessant labour,  rendered  my  whole  project  abortive." 

A  letter  posted  by  Gefhardt's  wife,  containing  an  unusual 
number  of  recommendations,  revealed  the  whole  plot ; 
though,  after  a  strict  search,  the  authorities  failed  to  discover 


BARON   TRENCK.  159 

any  of  the  signs  of  Trenck's  activity  on  either  his  chains 
or  the  flooring  of  his  cell.  All  that  was  noticed  was  the 
changes  he  had  made  in  his  window,  which  was  immediately 
closed  up  with  planks.  The  prisoner  was  interrogated  with 
threats  as  to  the  names  of  his  accomplices,  in  presence  of 
his  guards,  and  his  firmness  in  refusing  to  make  any  re- 
velations proved  of  great  service  to  him  afterwards  among 
men,  who  were  not  unwilling  to  aid  a  prisoner  if  they  could 
feel  quite  certain  of  not  being  betrayed.  Some  days  after, 
all  his  chains  were  padlocked  together ;  and  his  window  too 
was  narrowed  till  it  became  little  better  than  a  mere  air- 
vent.  He  was  at  the  same  time  deprived  of  his  bed,  and 
he  had  no  other  means  of  taking  repose  than  by  sitting  on 
the  floor  with  his  back  against  the  wall,  in  which  position  he 
was  half  strangled  by  the  weight  of  the  padlock.  He  became 
ill,  and  lay  for  two  months  at  the  point  of  death  without 
receiving  any  aid.  He  was  again,  however,  allowed  the  use 
of  his  bed. 

When  he  had  again  recovered,  he  contrived  to  gain  by 
bribes  three  of  the  four  officers  who  attended  him,  and 
through  them  he  obtained  candles,  boo&s,  newspapers  ;  and, 
more  precious  than  all,  some  tools  for  cutting  through  the 
chains  hanging  from  his  padlock.  He  also,  through  one  of 
the  officers,  obtained  larger  handcuffs,  from  which  he  could 
easily  withdraw  his  hands.  He  then  renewed  his  subterra- 
nean labours  with  the  design  of  cutting  a  passage,  thirty- 
seven  feet  in  length,  to  the  gallery  beneath  the  rampart.  He 
made  a  new  opening,  however,  to  avoid  working  beneath  the 
feet  of  the  sentinels  : — 

"  The  work  at  first  proceeded  so  rapidly  that,  while  I  had 
room  to  throw  back  my  sand,  I  was  able  in  one  night  to 
gain  three  feet ;  but  ere  I  had  proceeded  ten  feet,  I  dis- 


l6o  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

covered  all  my  difficulties.  Before  I  could  continue  my 
work,  I  was  obliged  to  make  room  for  myself,  by  emptying 
the  sand  out  of  the  hole  upon  the  floor  of  the  prison,  and 
this  itself  was  an  employment  of  some  hours.  The  sand 
was  obliged  to  be  thrown  out  by  the  hand,  and  after  it  thus 
lay  heaped  in  my  prison,  it  had  again  to  be  returned  into 
the  hole.  I  have  calculated  that,  after  I  had  proceeded 
twenty  feet,  I  was  obliged  to  creep  underground  in  my  hole 
from  fifteen  hundred  to  two  thousand  fathoms  within 
twenty-four  hours,  in  the  removal  and  replacing  of  the  sand. 
This  labour  ended,  care  was  to  be  taken  that  in  none  of  the 
crevices  of  the  floor  there  might  be  any  appearance  of  this 
fine  white  sand.  The  flooring  was  next  to  be  exactly  replaced, 
and  my  chains  to  be  resumed.  So  severe  was  the  fatigue  ot 
one  day  of  this  kind,  that  I  was  always  obliged  to  rest  the 
three  following. 

"  To  reduce  my  labour  as  much  as  possible,  I  was  con- 
strained to  make  the  passage  so  small  that  my  body  only 
had  space  to  pass,  and  I  had  not  room  to  draw  my  arm 
back  to  my  head.  The  work,  too,  had  all  to  be  done  naked, 
otherwise  the  dirtiness  of  my  shirt  would  have  been  re- 
marked ;  and  the  sand  was  wet,  water  being  found  at  the 
depth  of  four  feet,  where  the  stratum  of  the  gravel  began. 
At  length  the  expedient  of  sand  bags  occurred  to  me,  by 
which  it  might  be  removed  out  and  in  more  expeditiously. 
I  obtained  linen  from  the  officers,  but  not  in  sufficient  quan- 
tities. Suspicions  would  have  been  excited  had  too  much 
linen  been  brought  into  the  prison.  At  last  I  took  my  sheets, 
and  the  ticking  that  inclosed  my  straw,  and  cut  them  up  for 
sand  bags,  taking  care  to  lie  down  on  my  bed  as  if  ill,  when 
Bruckhausen  paid  his  visit. 

"  The   labour,    towards   the  conclusion,   became   so   in- 


BARON  TRENCK.  t6l 

tolerable  as  to  excite  despondency.  I  frequently  sat  con- 
templating the  heaps  of  sand,  during  a  momentary  respite 
from  work;  and  thinking  it  impossible  I  could  have  strength 
or  time  again  to  replace  all  things  as  they  were,  have  resolved 
patiently  to  wait  the  consequences,  and  leave  everything  in 
its  present  disorder.  Yes,  I  can  assure  the  reader  that  to 
effect  concealment,  I  have  scarcely  had  time  in  twenty-four 
hours  to  sit  down  and  eat  a  morsel  of  bread.  Recollecting, 
however,  the  efforts  and  all  the  progress  I  had  made,  hope 
would  again  revive  in  me,  and  exhausted  strength  return, 
and  again  would  I  begin  my  labours ;  yet  it  has  frequently 
happened  that  my  visitors  have  entered  a  few  minutes  after 
I  had  reinstated  everything  in  its  place. 

"When  my  work  was  within  six  or  seven  feet  of  being 
accomplished,  a  new  misfortune  happened,  that  at  once 
frustrated  all  further  attempts.  I  worked,  as  I  have  said, 
under  the  foundation  of  the  rampart,  near  where  the  sen- 
tinels stood.  I  could  disencumber  myself  of  my  fetters, 
except  my  neck  collar  and  its  pendant  chain.  This,  as  I 
worked,  though  it  was  fastened,  got  loose,  and  the  clank- 
ing was  heard  by  one  of  the  sentinels,  about  fifteen  feet 
from  my  dungeon.  The  officer  was  called,  they  laid  their 
ears  to  the  ground  and  heard  me  as  I  went  backward  and 
forward  to  bring  my  earth  bags.  This  was  reported  the 
next  day,  and  the  major,  who  was  my  best  friend,  with  the 
town  major,  and  a  smith  and  mason,  entered  my  prison.  I 
was  terrified.  The  lieutenant,  by  a  sign,  gave  me  to  under- 
stand I  was  discovered.  An  examination  was  begun ;  but 
the  officers  would  not  see,  and  the  smith  and  mason  found 
all,  as  they  thought,  safe.  Had  they  examined  my  bed  they 
would  have  seen  the  ticking  and  sheets  were  gone.  The 
town  major,  who  was  a  dull  man,  was  persuaded  the  thing 

M 


1 62  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

was  impossible,  and  said  to  the  sentinel,  'Blockhead,  you 
have  heard  some  mole  underground,  and  not  Trenck.  How 
indeed  could  it  be,  that  he  should  work  underground  at 
such  a  distance  from  his  dungeon?'  Here  the  scrutiny 
ended. 

"  There  was  now  no  time  for  delay.  Had  they  altered 
their  hour  of  coming,  they  must  have  found  me  at  work ; 
but  this,  during  ten  years,  never  happened,  for  the  governor 
and  town  major  were  stupid  men,  and  the  others,  poor 
fellows,  wishing  me  all  success,  were  willingly  blind.  In  a 
few  days  I  could  have  broken  out ;  but  when  ready,  I  was 
desirous  to  wait  for  the  visitation  of  the  man  who  had  treated 
me  so  tyrannically,  Bruckhausen  ;  but  this  man,  though  he 
wanted  understanding,  did  not  want  good  fortune.  He  was 

ill  for  some  time,  and  his  duty  devolved  on  K .     He 

recovered,  and  the  visitation  being  over,  the  doors  were  no 
sooner  barred  than  I  began  my  supposed  last  labour.  I 
had  only  three  feet  farther  to  proceed,  and  it  was  no  longer 
necessary  that  I  should  bring  out  the  sand,  as  I  had  room  to 
throw  it  behind  me.  What  my  anxiety  was,  what  my  exer- 
tions were,  can  well  be  imagined.  My  evil  genius,  however, 
had  decreed  that  the  same  sentinel  who  had  heard  me  be 
fore,  should  be  that  day  on  guard.  He  was  piqued  by  vanity 
to  prove  he  was  not  the  blockhead  he  had  been  called,  he 
therefore  again  laid  his  ear  to  the  ground,  and  again  heard 
me  burrowing.  He  called  his  comrades  first,  next  the 
major ;  who  came  and  heard  me  likewise,  they  then  went 
outside  the  palisades  and  heard  me  working  next  the  door, 
at  which  place  I  was  to  break  into  the  gallery.  This  door 
they  immediately  opened,  entered  the  gallery  with  lanterns, 
and  waited  to  catch  the  hunted  fox  when  unearthed. 

"  Through  the  first  small  breach  I  made  I  perceived  a 


BARON    TRENCK.  J&3 

light,  and  saw  the  heads  of  those  who  were  expecting  me. 
This  was  indeed  a  thunderstroke.  I  crept  back,  made  my 
way  through  the  sand  I  had  cast  behind  me,  and  shudder- 
ingly  awaited  my  fate.  I  had  the  presence  of  mind  to  con- 
ceal my  pistols,  candles,  paper,  and  some  money,  under  the 
moveable  floor.  The  money  was  disposed  of  in  various 
holes,  well  concealed  in  the  panels  of  the  doors;  and 
I  hid  my  small  files  and  knives  under  different  cracks  in 
the  floor.  Scarcely  were  these  disposed  of  before  the 
doors  resounded.  The  floor  was  covered  with  sand  and 
sand  bags ;  my  handcuffs,  however,  and  the  separating 
bar  I  had  hastily  resumed,  that  they  might  suppose  I  had 
worked  with  them  on,  which  they  were  silly  enough  to 
credit,  highly  to  my  future  advantage." 

The  passage  which  had  cost  Trenck  so  much  trouble  was 
filled  up,  the  flooring  repaired,  heavier  irons  replaced  those 
which  he  had  broken,  and  he  was  once  more  deprived  of 
his  bed.  Bruckhausen  and  the  major  interrogated  him  in 
presence  of  the  workmen  and  the  soldiers  as  to  the  man- 
ner in  which  he  had  obtained  his  tools.  "  My  answer," 
says  Trenck,  was  "  Gentlemen,  Beelzebub  is  my  best  and 
most  intimate  friend ;  he  brings  me  everything  I  want,  and 
supplies  me  with  light.  We  play  whole  nights  at  piquet, 
and,  guard  me  as  you  please,  he  will  finally  deliver  me  out 
of  your  power.' 

"Some  were  astonished,  others  laughed.  At  length,  as 
they  were  barring  the  last  door,  I  called,  '  Come,  gentlemen, 
you  have  forgotten  something  of  great  importance  in  the 
interior.'  I  had  taken  up  one  of  my  hidden  files  when  they 
returned:  '  Look  you,  gentlemen,'  said  I,  'here  is  a  proof  of 
the  friendship  Beelzebub  has  for  me,  he  has  brought  me  this 
in  a  twinkling.'  Again  they  examined  the  cell,  and  again  they 

M    2 


164  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

shut  the  doors.  While  they  were  so  doing  I  took  out  a  knife 
and  the  louis-tfors.  Their  consternation  was  excessive,  and 
I  solaced  my  misfortunes  by  jesting  at  such  blundering 
short-sighted  keepers.  It  was  soon  rumoured  through 
Magdeburg,  especially  among  the  simple  and  vulgar,  that  I 
was  a  magician,  to  whom  the  devil  brought  all  that  I  asked. 
One  Major  Holtzkammer,  a  very  selfish  man,  profited  by 
this  report.  A  foolish  citizen  had  offered  him  fifty  dollars  if 
he  might  only  be  permitted  to  see  me  through  the  door,  as  he 
was  very  desirous  to  see  a  wizard.  Holtzkammer  told  me, 
and  we  jointly  determined  to  sport  with  his  credulity.  The 
major  gave  me  a  mask  with  a  monstrous  nose,  which  I  put 
on  when  the  doors  were  opening,  and  threw  myself  in  an 
heroic  attitude.  The  affrighted  burgher  drew  back,  but 
Holtzkammer  stopped  him,  and  said,  '  Have  patience  for 
some  quarter  of  an  hour  and  you  shall  see  he  will  assume 
quite  a  different  countenance.'  The  burgher  waited.  My 
mask  was  thrown  by,  and  my  face  appeared  whitened  with 
chalk  and  made  ghastly.  The  burgher  again  shrunk  back, 
Holtzkammer  kept  him  in  conversation,  and  I  assumed  a 
third  facial  form.  I  tied  my  hair  under  my  nose,  and  fas- 
tened a  pewter  dish  to  my  breast,  and  when  the  door  opened 
a  third  time,  I  thundered, '  Begone,  rascals,  or  I'll  twist  your 
necks  awry.'  They  both  ran,  and  the  silly  burgher,  eased 
of  his  fifty  dollars,  scampered  first." 

Some  time  after  this  Trenck  meditated  another  and  a  far 
bolder  plan  of  escape.  The  garrison  of  Magdeburg  was 
but  900  strong,  and  there  were  at  least  7000  Croat  prisoners 
of  war  in  the  fortress.  He  proposed  to  gain  access  to  the 
Croats  by  bribing  his  jailers,  and  then  putting  himself  at 
their  head  to  seize  the  place  for  Maria  Theresa.  He  sent 
to  Vienna  for  2,000  ducats,  but  failed  to  obtain  them,  and 
the  project  came  to  nothing. 


BARON   TRENCK.  165 

He  then  once  more  began  his  mining  operations,  and  had 
already  made  considerable  progress  with  them,  when  the 
governor  of  the  fortress  becoming  mad,  he  was  replaced  by  the 
hereditary  Prince  of  Hesse  Cassel,  who  treated  Trenck  with 
so  much  kindness  that  the  grateful  prisoner  pledged  himself 
not  to  attempt  to  escape.  This  state  of  things  continued 
for  eighteen  months,  at  the  end  of  which  time  the  prince, 
leaving  the  fortress  in  consequence  of  the  death  of  his 
father,  Trenck  considered  himself  justified  in  making  another 
effort  for  liberty.  He  accordingly  procured  the  necessary 
tools  with  the  same  facility  as  before,  and  was  opening  up 
one  of  his  old  galleries,  when  an  accident  happened  that  had 
nearly  put  an  end  to  his  project  and  his  life. 

"  While  mining  under  the  foundation  of  the  ramparts,"  he 
says,  "just  as  I  was  going  to  carry  out  the  sand  bag,  Istruck 
my  foot  against  a  stone  in  the  wall,  which  fell  down  and 
closed  up  the  passage.  What  was  my  horror  to  find  myself 
thus  buried  alive  !  After  a  short  time  for  reflection,  I  began 
to  work  the  sand  away  from  the  side  that  I  might  obtain 
room  to  turn  round.  By  good  fortune  there  were  some  feet 
of  empty  space  into  which  I  threw  the  sand  as  I  worked  it 
away,  but  the  small  quantity  of  air  soon  made  it  so  foul  that 
I  a  thousand  times  wished  myself  dead,  and  made  several 
attempts  to  strangle  myself.  Further  labour  began  to  seem 
impossible.  Thirst  almost  deprived  me  of  my  senses,  but 
as  often  as  I  put  my  mouth  to  the  sand  I  inhaled  fresh  air. 
My  sufferings  were  incredible,  and  I  imagine  I  passed  full 
eight  hours  in  this  distraction  of  horror.  Of  all  dreaded 
deaths  surely  such  a  one  as  this  is  the  most  dreadful.  My 
spirits  fainted,  again  I  somewhat  recovered,  again  I  began  to 
labour,  but  the  earth  was  as  high  as  my  chin,  and  I  had  no 
more  space  into  which  I  might  throw  the  sand,  that  I  might 


1 66  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

turn  round.  I  made  a  more  desperate  effort,  drew  my  body 
into  a  ball  and  turned  round.  I  now  faced  the  stone,  which 
was  as  wide  as  the  whole  passage,  but  there  being  an  open- 
ing at  the  top  I  respired  fresher  air.  My  next  labour  was  to 
root  away  the  sand  under  the  stone  and  let  it  sink,  so  that  I 
might  creep  over,  and  by  this  means  at  length  I  once  more 
happily 'arrived  in  my  dungeon." 

He  had  hardly  time  to  clear  away  the  traces  of  his  work,  and 
to  put  all  in  order,  before  he  received  the  daily  visit  of  his 
jailers.  A  change  of  the  garrison  and  other  circumstances 
somewhat  hindered  the  accomplishment  of  his  design,  but 
the  gallery  was  at  length  finished,  and  an  officer  had  even 
promised  to  bring  him  false  keys  to  open  his  prison  doors. 
The  thought  that  he  was  on  the  very  eve  of  liberty  turned 
his  head,  as  he  admits  himself. 

"  I  was  then  vain  enough,  stupid  enough,  mad  enough," 
he  says,  "to  form  the  design  of  casting  myself  on  the 
generosity  and  magnanimity  of  the  great  Frederic  !  Should 
this  fail,  I  still  thought  my  lieutenant  a  certain  saviour. 
Having  heated  my  imagination  with  this  lamentable  scheme, 
I  awaited  the  hour  of  visitation  with  great  anxiety.  The 
major  entered.  '  I  know,  sir,'  I  said,  'the  great  Prince 
Ferdinand  is  again  in  Magdeburg'  (my  new  friend  had  told 
me  this) :  '  Be  pleased  to  inform  him  that  he  may  first 
examine  my  prison,  and  double  the  sentinels,  and  afterwards 
give  me  his  commands,  stating  at  what  hour  it  will  please 
him  I  should  make  my  appearance  in  perfect  freedom  on 
the  glacis  of  Klosterbergen.  If  I  prove  myself  capable  of 
this,  I  then  hope  for  the  protection  of  Prince  Ferdinand, 
and  I  trust  he  will  relate  my  proceedings  to  the  king,  who 
may  thereby  be  convinced  of  my  innocence  and  the  perfect 
clearness  of  my  conscience.' 


BARON   TRENCK.  167 

"  The  major  was  astonished,  and  he  supposed  my  brain 
turned.  The  proposal  he  held  to  be  ridiculous,  and  the  per- 
formance impossible.  As  I,  however,  persisted,  he  rode 
to  town  and  returned  with  the  sub-governor,  Reichmann, 
the  town  major,  Riding,  and  the  major  of  inspection.  The 
answer  they  delivered  was,  '  That  the  prince  promised  me 
his  protection,  the  king's  favour,  and  a  certain  release  from 
my  chains,  should  I  prove  the  truth  of  my  assertion.'  I 
required  they  would  appoint  a  time;  they  ridiculed  the 
thing  as  impossible,  and  at  last  said  that  it  would  be 
sufficient  could  I  only  prove  the  practicability  of  such  a 
scheme ;  but  should  I  refuse  they  would  immediately  break 
up  the  whole  flooring  and  place  sentinels  in  my  dungeon 
night  and  day ;  adding,  '  The  governor  would  not  admit  of 
any  actual  breaking  out.' 

"  After  the  most  solemn  promises  of  good  faith,  I  imme- 
diately disencumbered  myself  of  my  chains,  raised  up  the 
flooring,  gave  them  my  arms  and  implements,  and  also  two 
keys,  that  my  friend  had  procured  me,  to  the  doors  of  the 
subterranean  gallery.  I  desired  them  to  enter  this  gallery 
and  sound  with  their  sword  hilts  at  a  place  through  which 
I  could  easily  break  in  a  few  minutes.  I  further  described 
the  road  I  was  to  take  through  the  gallery,  informed  them 
that  two  of  the  doors  had  not  been  shut  for  six  months, 
and  that  they  already  had  the  keys  to  the  others,  adding, 
I  had  horses  waiting  at  the  glacis  that  would  be  ready 
the  moment  I  wanted  them. 

"They  went,  examined,  returned,  and  put  questions,  which 
I  answered  with  as  much  precision  as  the  engineer  could  have 
done  who  built  the  Star  Fort.  They  left  me  with  seeming 
friendship,  continued  away  about  an  hour,  came  back,  told 
me  the  prince  was  astonished  at  what  he  had  heard,  that  he 


1 68  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

wished  me  all  happiness,  and  then  took  me  unfettered  to 
the  guardhouse.  The  major  came  in  the  evening,  treated 
us  with  a  sumptuous  supper,  assured  me  everything  would 
happen  in  accordance  with  my  wishes,  and  that  Prince 
Ferdinand  had  already  written  to  Berlin. 

"  But  all  these  promises  were  illusory.  The  guard  was 
reinforced  next  day;  two  grenadiers  entered  the  officers' 
room  as  sentinels  ;  the  whole  guard  loaded  with  ball  before 
my  eyes  ;  the  drawbridges  were  raised  in  open  day,  and 
precautions  were  taken  as  if  it  were  supposed  I  intended  to 
make  attempts  as  desperate  as  those  I  had  made  at  Glatz." 

Nothing  had  come  from  the  Duke  of  Brunswick.  The 
commandant  and  the  officers,  dreading  the  king's  displeasure, 
had  spread  the  rumour  that  a  new  attempt  at  escape  had 
been  discovered  on  the  part  of  the  prisoner.  The  cell  was 
repaired  in  eight  days  and  paved  with  great  flagstones,  and 
the  unfortunate  Trenck  was  again  placed  there,  with  a  single 
chain  about  his  feet,  which  weighed  as  much  as  all  those  he 
had  previously  worn  put  together.  The  duke,  however,  was 
some  time  afterwards  informed  of  all  the  circumstances,  and 
he  spoke  to  the  king,  who  kept  Trenck  in  prison  another 
year  and  then  set  him  at  liberty. 

It  is  well  known  that  Trenck,  after  a  life  of  constant 
agitation,  perished  on  the  scaffold  of  the  revolution  with 
Andre  Chenier.— (HolcrofCs  Life  of  Trenck.} 


CASSANOVA   DE    SEINGALT.  169 

CASSANOVA  DE  SEINGALT. 

1757- 

JACQUES  CASSANOVA  DE  SEINGALT  says  of  himself  that  he 
was  one  of  the  most  good-for-nothing  fellows  in  Venice  when 
he  was  arrested ;  but,  perhaps,  in  the  sense  in  which  he 
used  the  words  this  title  may  be  considered  too  flattering 
for  him.  Be  that  as  it  may,  however,  his  account  of  his 
imprisonment  and  escape  at  Venice  is  not  wanting  in  interest 
Many  details  are,  no  doubt,  erroneous  or  exaggerated  ;  not 
a  few  writers,  indeed,  have  declared  that  Cassanova  had  no 
greater  obstacle  to  surmount  than  the  watchfulness  of  his 
gaolers,  ,and  that  he  found  it  an  easy  matter  to  gain  them 
over  by  liberal  presents ;  but  these  assertions,  in  their  turn, 
have  to  be  taken  entirely  on  trust  All  that  seems  certain 
is,  that  Cassanova  escaped  from  the  prison  near  the  Bridge 
of  Sighs.  We  quote  from  his  own  account  of  tfte  exploit, 
without  offering  any  guarantee  of  his  veracity : — 

"At  daybreak  on  the  26th  of  July,  1755,  the  terrible 
Messer  Grande  came  into  rny  room  while  I  lay  asleep,  and 
waking  me  with  a  rude  shake,  asked  me  if  my  name  was 
Jacques  Cassanova.  On  my  replying  in  the  affirmative,  he 
told  me  to  get  up  and  dress  myself,  to  give  up  every  piece 
of  writing  I  had  in  my  possession,  and  to  follow  him. 

"  '  In  whose  name,'  I  asked,  *  do  you  bring  these  orders?' 

" '  In  the  name  of  the  tribunal.' 

"The  word  tribunal  frightened  me  so  much  that  I  had 
only  the  strength  left  to  yield  him  a  passive  obedience.  I 
was  led  to  a  gondola,  and  Messer  Grande  took  his  seat  by 
my  side  with  an  escort  of  four  men.  When  we  reached  his 
house  he  offered  me  some  coffee,  but  I  refused  it  I  was 
then  locked  up  in  one  of  the  rooms  and  closely  guarded. 


170  WONDERFUL   ES'CAPES. 

At  about  three  the  captain  of  the  archers  came  in  and  said 
that  he  had  received  orders  to  take  me  to  prison,  and  I  fol- 
lowed him  without  saying  a  word.  We  again  took  to  the 
gondola,  and  after  passing  along  many  of  the  smaller  canals 
came  at  last  to  the  Grand  Canal  and  landed  on  the  Prison 
Quay  (Riva  de  Schiavoni).  We  mounted  several  staircases 
and  crossed  the  Bridge  of  Sighs,  and  at  length  found  our- 
selves in  the  presence  of  a  person  in  the  dress  of  a  patrician, 
who  just  glanced  at  me,  and  then  ordered  the  guard  to  take 
me  to  my  cell." 

Cassanova  was  now  placed  in  a  small  chamber,  opening, 
with  many  others,  on  a  large  gallery,  in  which  were  heaped 
together  a  number  of  the  most  diverse  objects — official 
papers,  decrees  of  the  tribunals,  and  articles  of  furniture  ot 
every  kind.  The  prisoners  took  their  exercise  in  this  gallery 
every  day  while  the  gaolers  were  sweeping  out  the  cells. 
Cassanova  suffered  a  good  deal  from  the  heat  during  the 
first  few  days  of  his  incarceration,  and  fell  ill,  but  he  soon 
recovered  and  began  to  form  plans  for  making  his  escape. 
One  day,  while  exercising  in  the  gallery,  he  found  a  kind  of 
round  bolt  of  iron  and  a  piece  of  marble,  and,  hastily  con- 
cealing them,  took  them  back  with  him  to  his  cell.  He 
pointed  the  iron  at  his  leisure  by  grinding  it  on  the  marble, 
though  this  was  an  operation  of  great  difficulty  and  of  the 
most  fatiguing  kind. 

"  After  pondering  for  several  days  over  the  best  way  of 
using  my  chisel — or,  rather,  crowbar,  for  it  was  of  consider- 
able length — I  resolved  to  make  a  hole  with  it  through  the 
flooring  underneath  my  bed.  I  knew  that  the  room  to 
which  this  would  give  me  access  was  that  in  which  I  had 
been  received  by  the  secretary  of  the  inquisitors  on  my 
arrival ;  and  I  thought  that  if  I  could  contrive  to  secrete 


CASSANOVA  DE   SEINGALT.  171 

myself  under  the  council  table  during  the  night  I  might 
escape  by  running  hastily  out  of  the  room  as  soon  as  the 
door  was  opened  in  the  morning.  I  did  not  forget  that  in 
all  probability  I  should  find  an  archer  on  guard  in  the 
room,  but  I  felt  confident  that  my  crowbar  would  enable  me 
to  dispose  of  him.  The  great  difficulty  lay  in  the  thickness 
of  the  flooring.  I  should,  perhaps,  be  engaged  for  two 
months  in  cutting  my  way  through,  and  how  was  I  to  avoid 
discovery,  meanwhile,  when  the  guards  came  to  sweep  out 
my  room  ?  To  forbid  them  to  sweep  it  would  be  to  awaken 
their  suspicions,  more  especially  as  I  had  previously  insisted 
on  its  being  kept  very  clean.  I  began,  however,  by  telling 
them  not  to  trouble  themselves  to  put  the  place  in  order ; 
but  in  a  few  days  Laurent,  the  gaoler,  asked  me  the  meaning 
of  this  unusual  request.  I  replied  that  the  dust  raised  by 
the  sweepers  was  peculiarly  disagreeable  to  me.  This 
satisfied  him  for  awhile,  but  he  soon  grew  suspicious  again, 
and  not  only  ordered  the  cell  to  be  swept  out,  but  himself 
examined  it  most  carefully  in  every  corner  with  a  lighted 
candle." 

Cassanova  then  cut  his  finger  and  rolled  his  handkerchief 
round  the  wound,  telling  Laurent  that  the  sweeping  had 
affected  his  lungs,  and  that  he  was  beginning  to  spit  blood. 
The  surgeon  of  the  place,  who  was,  without  doubt,  in  the 
prisoner's  interest,  bled  him,  and  declared  that  his  life  was  in 
danger.  The  result  was  that  the  guards  were  ordered  to 
discontinue  the  sweeping. 

"  My  resolution  grew  stronger  every  day ;  but  the  time 
for  beginning  the  great  work  of  my  deliverance  had  not  yet 
arrived,  for  the  weather  was  so  cold  that  I  could  not  hold 
the  crowbar  in  my  frozen  hands.  The  long  winter  nights 
made  me  wretched,  for  I  was  obliged  to  pass  nineteen 


1 72  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

mortal  hours  in  darkness;  and  even  during  the  day,  the  light 
that  entered  by  the  window  was  not  strong  enough  to  enable 
me  to  read.  The  possession  of  even  a  wretched  kitchen 
lamp  would  have  rendered  me  happy ;  but  how  was  I  to 
make  one.  I  required  a  cup,  a  wick,  oil,  a  flint  and  steel, 
besides  tinder  and  matches.  But  nevertheless  I  set  to  work 
to  obtain  them,  and  succeeded  after  repeated  efforts,  in 
which  I  availed  myself  of  every  pretext  my  ingenuity  could 
devise.  As  soon  as  the  lamp  was  in  working  order,  I  fixed 
on  the  first  Monday  in  Lent  for  the  commencement  of  my 
operations  on  the  floor,  for  I  was  apprehensive  of  being 
disturbed  during  the  carnival." 

His  fears  were  well  founded  ;  a  Jew  was  sent  to  bear  him 
company  in  his  cell ;  and  for  two  whole  months,  Cassanova 
was  not  relieved  of  this  man's  unwelcome  presence. 

"  As  soon  as  I  was  alone  again  I  began  to  work  with 
renewed  activity.  It  was  above  all  things  necessary  to  avoid 
delay,  now  that  I  had  actually  cut  into  the  planks,  for  a  new 
companion  might  have  insisted,  as  the  Jew  had  done,  on 
having  the  prison  swept.  I  first  removed  my  bed,  and  then 
throwing  myself  upon  my  chest,  crowbar  in  hand,  began  to 
hack  away  at  the  boards,  carefully  collecting  the  debris  in  a 
napkin  which  I  spread  out  by  my  side.  I  have  said  that  I 
had  to  hack  away  the  boards.  I  ought  rather  to  have  said 
that  I  was  obliged  to  pick  them  to  pieces  with  the  point  of 
my  crowbar.  The  work  was  fatiguing  in  the  extreme,  and 
at  first  I  brought  away  pieces  no  bigger  than  a  grain  of 
wheat ;  but  after  a  time  my  labour  was  cheered  with  more 
encouraging  results. 

"The  plank  I  had  selected  was  of  very  tough  wood,  and 
was  about  sixteen  inches  in  breadth.  I  continued  to  pick  it 
to  pieces  for  about  six  hours,  and  then  I  carefully  gathered 


CASSANOVA   DE   SEINGALT.  I7j 

up  the  debris  in  the  napkin,  in  order  to  throw  them  away 
behind  a  heap  of  papers  in  the  gallery.  They  formed  a 
bundle  four  or  five  times  as  large  as  the  hole  from  which  I 
had  taken  them.  I  put  the  bed  back  in  its  place,  and  on 
the  morning  contrived  to  get  rid  of  the  rubbish  without 
being  perceived.  By  the  next  day,  having  worked  my  way 
through  the  first  plank,  which  was  about  two  inches  in 
thickness,  I  came  upon  a  second  of  nearly  the  same  solidity, 
as  far  as  I  could  judge.  But  I  was  so  afraid  of  having  a 
new  visitor  quartered  upon  me,  that  I  now  wielded  my 
crowbar  with  even  greater  energy  than  before.  In  less  than 
three  weeks  I  had  made  a  hole  clean  through  all  the  three 
planks  ;  but  judge  of  my  despair  when  I  found  that  these 
rested  on  a  tesselated  marble  pavement,  which  turned  the 
point  of  the  tool  and  seemed  to  defy  all  my  efforts  to  remove 
it.  I  was  cast  down,  disgusted,  heart-broken,  in  a  word ; 
but  at  length,  I  know  not  how,  the  story  of  Hannibal  came 
unto  my  mind,  and  I  forthwith  emptied  into  the  hole  a 
bottle  of  very  strong  vinegar  which  I  had  by  me.  In  the 
morning — whether  it  was  owing  to  the  action  of  the  vinegar 
or  to  my  renewed  strength,  I  cannot  say — I  was  able  to 
remove  the  pieces  of  marble  by  pulverising  the  cement 
which  held  them  together  ;  and  in  four  days  the  mosaic  was 
destroyed.  I  found  another  plank  beneath  it,  but  this  was 
no  more  than  I  expected,  and  I  concluded  that  it  would  be 
the  last,  for  I  was  tolerably  familiar  with  the  plan  on  which 
these  ceilings  and  floors  were  made.  I  had  great  difficulty, 
however,  in  cutting  through  it,  for  as  the  hole  in  the  plank- 
ing was  over  ten  inches  in  depth,  it  was  well  nigh  impossible 
to  use  the  crowbar  at  all  at  the  bottom  of  it. 

"At  about  three  in  the  afternoon  of  the  25th  June,  while 
I  \vas  working  quite  naked,  and  covered  with  sweat,  in  the 


174  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

hole,  I  heard — with  an  emotion  of  agony  I  can  hardly 
describe — the  sound  of  a  door  being  unbolted  in  the 
corridor  which  led  to  my  cell.  I  blew  out  the  candle 
hastily,  left  crowbar  and  napkin  in  the  hole,  wheeled  my 
bed  in  its  place  and  threw  myself  upon  it  as  though  dead  ; 
and  in  a  moment  after,  the  door  of  my  cell  flew  open,  and 
Laurent  came  in.  Two  seconds  earlier  and  he  would  have 
surprised  me.  He  was  about  to  walk  straight  up  to  me 
when  I  uttered  a  cry  of  pain  that  made  him  draw  back. 
'  Good  heaven,  Signor  ! '  he  cried,  '  I  pity  you,  for  this  place 
would  be  enough  to  suffocate  any  one.  Get  up  and  give 
thanks  to  Providence  for  having  sent  you  an  excellent 
companion.' 

"  The  new  comer  seemed  to  think  he  was  entering  the 
infernal  regions,  for  he  began  to  cry  out,  '  What  a  heat ! 
what  a  stench  ! '  and  Laurent  ordered  us  out  into  the 
gallery,  in  order,  as  he  said,  that  the  cell  might  be  purged 
of  the  unpleasant  odour  of  oil  that  hung  about  it.  The  pain 
and  surprise  with  which  I  heard  these  last  words  was 
extreme.  I  had  forgotten  in  my  hurry  to  snuff  out  the 
smouldering  wick  of  the  lamp  after  having  extinguished  the 
flame.  I  thought  that  Laurent  knew  everything,  and  that 
the  Jew  had  completely  betrayed  me  ;  but  in  reality  he  had 
not  discovered  the  secret  of  the  lamp. 

Eight  days  after  that  he  was  relieved  of  his  unwelcome 
companion. 

The  next  day  he  says,  "  Laurent  having  rendered  me  an 
account  of  the  money  that  belonged  to  me,  I  found  I  had 
an  odd  sum  of  four  sequins  remaining,  and  I  won  his  favour 
by  telling  him  he  might  keep  it  as  a  present  for  his  wife.  I 
did  not  tell  him  it  was  for  the  rent  of  my  lamp,  but  he  was 
quite  free  to  think  so  if  he  pleased.  After  this  I  pursued 


CASSANOVA   DE   SEINGALT.  175 

my  labours  for  a  considerable  time  without  any  interruption 
whatever,  but  I  did  not  witness  the  completion  of  them  till 
the  23rd  August  This  delay  was  due  to  a  very  natural 
accident  in  cutting  through  the  last  plank.  I  had  formed  at 
first,  a  very  small  hole  indeed,  in  order  that  I  might  safely 
reconnoitre  the  room  in  which  the  inquisitors  sat.  But  I 
found  that  the  opening  was  quite  close  to  one  of  the  thick 
beams  on  which  the  ceiling  was  supported ;  this  of  course 
obliged  me  to  change  the  direction  of  my  little  shaft,  for  it 
would  have  cost  me  too  much  labour  to  have  cut  through  the 
beam.  I  worked  for  some  time  in  great  doubt  and  fear,  lest 
the  other  beams  should  be  placed  so  closely  together  as  to 
bar  the  passage  to  my  body,  but  to  my  great  joy,  I  soon 
discovered  that  this  alarm  was  groundless.  It  is  needless  to 
say  that  I  always  carefully  covered  up  the  little  peep  hole 
when  I  was  not  actually  looking  through  it,  lest  a  single  ray 
of  light  from  my  lamp  should  discover  me  to  the  inquisitors 
below. 

"  I  fixed  on  the  eve  of  St.  Augustine's  Day  for  my  flight,  for 
I  knew  that  at  that  time  there  would  be  no  one  in  the  room 
contiguous  to  the  council  chamber,  through  which  I  should 
have  to  pass.  This  was  on  the  27th,  but  on  the  25th,  I  was 
doomed  to  suffer  a  misfortune,  the  bare  recollection  of  which 
makes  me  tremble  as  I  write. 

"  At  the  stroke  of  midnight  I  heard  some  one  drawing  the 
bolts  of  my  cell  door,  and  my  heart  began  to  beat  as  violently 
as  though  I  were  a  criminal  who  knew  that  his  last  hour  was 
come.  I  had  barely  time  to  throw  myself  upon  my  bed, 
when  Laurent  came  in,  and  said :  '  I  congratulate  you  on 
the  good  news  I  bring.'  This  made  me  tremble  all  the  more. 
for  believing  nothing  less  than  that  he  came  to  announce 
my  restoration  to  liberty,  I  dreaded  lest  a  discovery  of  my 


176  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

attempt  to  escape  should  lead  the  judges  to  revoke  their 
pardon.  Laurent  told  me  to  follow  him.  I  asked  him  to 
wait  a  few  moments  while  I  put  my  dress  in  order.  '  No 
need  to  wait  for  that/  said  he,  '  for  I  am  going  to  change 
your  lodging  from  this  miserable  den,  to  a  well  lit  and  lofty 
room,  from  Avhich  you  can  see  the  half  of  Venice.' 

"  I  could  not  utter  a  word,  and  I  felt  my  strength  rapidly 
giving  way.  I  begged  him  to  give  me  a  little  vinegar,  and  to 
tell  the  tribunal  in  my  name,  that  while  I  thanked  them  for 
their  generous  consideration,  I  should  greatly  prefer  to  be 
left  where  I  was. 

"  '  You  make  me  laugh,'  he  replied.  '  Are  you  mad  ?  You 
are  offered  the  chance  of  removal  from  the  infernal  regions 
to  paradise ;  and  you  refuse  to  profit  by  your  good  fortune. 
Come,  you  must  obey.  Get  up  at  once  :  I  will  give  you  my 
arm,  and  your  clothes  and  books  shall  be  carried  to  your  new 
room.' 

"  Seeing  that  resistance  was  impossible,  I  got  up,  and  I 
was  somewhat  comforted  to  hear  him  order  an  archer  to 
move  my  bed,  for  that  contained  my  invaluable  crowbar. 
How  I  wished  that  at  the  same  time  it  could  have  been  made 
to  hold  the  floor  itself,  through  which  I  had  cut  with  such 
incredible  labour  and  pains.  I  can  truthfully  declare  that 
though  my  body  left  this  horrible  dungeon,  my  spirit  remained 
behind. 

"  Leaning  on  the  shoulder  of  Laurent,  who  tried  to  put 
me  on  a  better  footing  with  myself,  with  his  abominable 
pleasantries,  I  passed  through  several  long  corridors,  until 
I  reached  a  room  about  twelve  feet  in  length,  and  very 
narrow,  the  barred  aperture  of  which  looking  out  on  the  two 
windows  of  a  corridor  beyond  it,  commanded  the  view  oi 
Venice,  of  which  he  had  spoken.  I  was  not  disposed  at  that 


CASSANOVA    DE   SEINGALT.  177 

particular  moment  to  find  much  pleasure  in  the  prospect,  but 
I  was  afterwards  glad  to  discover  that  the  window  admitted 
not  only  light,  but  fresh  air,  which  tempered  the  intolerable 
heat  and  closeness  of  the  atmosphere  of  the  place.  As  soon 
as  I  entered  the  room,  Laurent  had  my  chair  brought  in,  and 
told  me  that  he  would  at  once  order  the  removal  of  the  rest 
of  my  effects.  I  sat  for  some  time  immoveable  as  a  statue, 
expecting  every  moment  that  the  storm  would  burst  over  my 
head,  but  too  apathetic  from  despair  to  dread  it.  I  was  in 
this  state  when  two  sbirri  came  in  with  the  bed.  They  left 
again,  to  fetch  the  rest  of  my  things,  and  I  sat  there  for  two 
hours  without  seeing  any  one,  the  door  remaining  open  all 
the  time.  I  was  a  prey  to  a  host  of  conflicting  emotions, 
but  I  found  it  impossible  to  fix  any  one  impression  clearly  on 
my  mind.  I  at  length  heard  hasty  steps,  and  then  Laurent 
came  in,  foaming  at  the  mouth,  and  blaspheming  in  a  manner 
frightful  to  hear.  He  began  by  ordering  me  to  hand  over 
to  him  the  hatchet  and  the  other  tools  with  which  I  had  cut 
through  the  flooring;  and  to  give  the  name  of  the  soldier 
who  had  furnished  me  with  them.  I  replied  calmly,  and 
without  stirring,  that  I  really  did  not  understand  him.  He 
then  told  some  of  his  people  to  search  me,  but  before  they 
could  approach,  I  stripped  myself  of  my  scanty  clothing, 
and  assuming  a  threatening  attitude,  cried  out  '  Do  your 
office,  but  beware  every  one  of  you  of  laying  hands  on  me.' 
They  turned  over  my  mattrass,  my  paillasse,  and  the 
cushions  of  my  chair,  but  they  found  nothing. 

'You  will  not  tell  me  then,'  said  Laurent,  'how  you 
found  your  tools,  but  never  fear,  I  shall  find  out  how  to 
make  you  speak.' 

'  ff  it  be  true,'  I  replied,  'that  I  have  made  a  hole  or 
two,  I  s';all  be  prepared  to  prove  that  it  is  you  who  have 

N 


178  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

furnished  me  with  the  tools,  and  that  I  have  already  returned 
them  to  you.' 

"  At  this  threat,  which  made  one  or  two  of  his  people 
smile,  whom  he  had  probably  irritated  by  some  act  of  rigour, 
he  stamped  on  the  ground,  tore  his  hair,  and  rushed  out 
of  the  place  like  one  possessed.  His  people  came  back, 
and  brought  me  all  my  effects,  with  the  exception  of  the 
stove  and  lamp.  Before  quitting  the  corridor,  and  after  he 
had  closed  my  door,  he  shut  up  the  windows  by  which  I  had 
received  the  supply  of  air,  but,  with  all  his  knowledge  of  his 
trade,  he  heedlessly  forgot  to  search  my  armchair ;  and  so, 
thanks  to  Providence,  I  yet  kept  possession  of  my  little 
crowbar.' 

The  next  day  Laurent  brought  the  prisoner  some  pro- 
visions of  the  worst  quality ;  and  an  archer,  furnished  with 
an  iron  bar,  sounded  the  place  everywhere — particularly 
under  the  bed. 

"  I  observed,"  says  Cassanova,  "  that  he  did  not  notice 
the  ceiling,  so  I  at  once  fixed  on  that  route  for  leaving  this 
horrible  place.  I  could  attempt  nothing  however,  without 
being  instantly  discovered.  The  cell  was  quite  new,  and 
the  faintest  mark  of  chisel  or  crowbar,  would  have  been 
at  once  visible  to  my  guardians." 

On  the  following  days  Laurent  continued  to  bring  him 
food  it  was  almost  impossible  to  swallow,  and  to  refuse  to 
allow  him  either  to  have  his  cell  cleaned,  or  to  open  the 
windows.  On  the  eighth  day,Cassanova  vented  his  impatience 
in  some  angry  words,  and  asked  for  a  reckoning  of  the 
money  belonging  to  him  in  his  jailer's  hands.  Laurent 
promised  to  furnish  it  next  day,  and  in  the  meantime  lie 
brought  the  prisoner  a  basket  of  lemons,  aud  a  n~ee  roast 
fowl,  on  the  part  of  M.  de  Bragadin, 


CASSANOVA   DE   SEINGALT.  179 

"  When  he  had  brought  my  account  I  cast  my  eyes  over 
it,  and  told  him  to  give  the  odd  money  to  his  wife,  with  the 
exception  of  one  sequin,  which  was  to  be  presented  to  the 
archers  who  waited  on  me.  Laurent  then  being  left  alone 
•  with  me,  addressed  me  thus :  '  You  have  already  said 
Monsieur,  that  it  was  from  me  you  received  the  tools  with 
which  you  made  that  enormous  hole.  I  am  inquisitive  enough 
about  that,  but  more  so  about  another  thing.  In  the  name 
of  Fortune,  how  did  you  contrive  to  make  your  lamp  ? 
You  assisted  me  in  that,  as  in  the  other  matters,'  I  replied. 
'  Oh  ! '  he  exclaimed,  adding  after  a  few  moments,  when  he 
had  recovered  from  his  astonishment,  'I  did  not  think 
wit  consisted  in  lying  and  effrontery.'  '  I  am  not  lying  : 
it  is  you  who  with  your  own  hands  gave  me  all  that  was 
necessary — oil,  flint,  matches, — I  already  had  the  rest,' 
'  You  are  right  :  but  you  cannot  convince  me  so  easily  that 
I  supplied  you  with  the  tools  for  digging  that  enormous 
hole.'  'Assuredly,  for  I  received  nothing  from  anybody 
but  you.'  '  Mercy,  what  do  I  hear !  tell  me  how,  when, 
and  where  I  gave  you  a  hatchet !'  '  I  will  tell  you  everything ; 
and  I  will  speak  the  truth,  but  it  can  only  be  in  presence  of 
the  secretary.'  '  I  don't  want  to  know  anything  more,  and  I 
believe  all  you  have  said,'  returned  Laurent  hastily ;  I  beg  of 
you  to  be  silent,  for  remember  I  am  but  a  poor  man,  and  have 
children,'  He  then  went,  pressing  his  hands  to  his  head. 

"I  congratulated  myself  heartily  on  having  found  the 
means  to  make  myself  feared  by  this  fellow.  I  saw  that  his 
own  interest  compelled  him  to  conceal  from  his  masters  all 
that  had  passed  ...  I  had  ordered  Laurent  to  buy 
me  the  works  of  Maffei.  *  I  will  borrow  the  books  for  you 
from  some  one  here,'  he  said,  '  and  you  can  lend  him  some 
of  yours  in  return.  By  that  plan  you  will  save  your  money.' " 

N  2 


I  So  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

Cassanova  consented,  and  gave  a  book  in  exchange  for 
another  that  Laurent  brought  him. 

"  Delighted  at  the  opportunity  of  entering  into  a  corres- 
pondence with  some  one  who  might  perhaps  help  me  to 
escape  from  the  place,  I  opened  the  book  as  soon  as 
Laurent  was  gone,  and  read  with  intense  joy  a  paraphrase 
of  these  words  of  Seneca.  '  Calamitosus  est  animus  futuri 
anxius,'  done  in  six  good  lines,  and  written  on  the  fly  leaf. 
I  made  as  many  more  lines  at  once,  and  had  recourse  to  the 
following  expedients  for  copying  them  out.  I  had  let  the 
nail  of  my  little  finger  grow  until  it  was  very  long,  and  I 
had  only  to  cut  it  to  a  point  to  make  a  pen.  I  was  just  on 
the  point  of  pricking  my  finger,  to  make  ink  out  of  my  own 
blood,  when  it  struck  me  I  could  write  equally  well  with 
mulberry  juice,  of  which  I  had  a  quantity  by  me.  Besides 
the  six  lines,  I  wrote  out  a  catalogue  of  all  my  books,  and 
slid  it  down  the  back  of  the  book  which  I  had  borrowed. 
It  must  be  remembered  that  in  Italy,  the  books  are  for  the 
most  part  bound  in  parchment,  and  on  opening  them  the 
back  forms  a  kind  of  pocket.  On  the  title  page  I  inscribed 
the  word  '  Latet.'  I  was  impatient  to  have  an  answer, 
so  when  Laurent  came  in  the  morning,  I  told  him  I  had  read 
my  book  through,  and  wanted  another.  In  a  few  moments 
he  returned  with  the  second  volume.  I  was  no  sooner  alone 
than  I  opened  it,  and  found  a  slip  of  paper,  containing  these 
words,  written  in  Latin  :  '  We  are  both  in  the  same  prison, 
and  we  both  discover  with  the  greatest  pleasure  that  the 
ignorance  of  a  miserly  gaoler  has  procured  us  a  privilege 
almost  unexampled  in  places  of  this  sort.  I,  who  write  to 
you,  am  Marin  Balbi,  a  noble  Venetian,  and  my  companion 
is  the  Count  Andre"  Asquin,  of  Udine.  He  charges  me  to 
tcl!  you  that  all  the  books  he  possesses  are  catalogued  on  a 


CASSANOVA  DE  SEINGALT.  l8  I 

slip  in  the  back  of  this  volume,  and  that  they  are  wholly 
at  your  service,  but  we  both  warn  you  that  you  must  use  the 
greatest  circumspection  to  prevent  Laurent  from  learning 
what  is  going  on."  I  am  bound  to  say  that  I  thought  this 
exhortation  to  prudence,  written  openly  on  a  leaf  not 
belonging  to  the  book,  rather  odd.  It  was  too  much  to 
expect  that  Laurent  would  not  at  one  time  or  other  open  the 
book  he  carried,  and  if  he  should  find  a  sheet  of  manuscript, 
he  could  easily  find  some  one  to  read  it  for  him,  and  then 
all  would  be  discovered.  The  note  led  me  to  conclude  that 
my  correspondent  was  but  a  kind  of  plain-speaking  blunderer. 
I  looked  over  the  catalogue,  and  then  in  reply  wrote  my 
name,  the  manner  of  my  arrest,  and  my  ignorance  of  the 
cause,  with  the  hopes  that  I  cherished  of  soon  regaining 
my  liberty.  Balbi,  who  was  a  monk,  sent  in  return  a 
letter  of  sixteen  pages,  in  which  he  gave  me  the  history  of  all 
his  misfortunes,  and  told  me  that  he  had  been  four  years  in 
prison.  His  companion  did  not  write." 

The  monk's  history  proved  that  he  had  nothing  of  the 
ecclesiastic  in  him  but  the  title.  It  showed  him  to  be  a 
sensualist,  a  poor  reasoner,  a  mischievous  rogue,  and  a  care, 
less  and  ungrateful  fool.  At  least,  such  were  the  conclusions 
that  Cassanova  drew  from  it,  and  the  event  satisfied  him 
that  they  were  not  incorrect. 

"  I  found  pencil,  pens,  and  paper  in  the  back  of  the 
book,  and  these  enabled  me  to  write  at  my  ease.  Balbi 
next  furnished  me  with  the  history  of  all  the  persons  con- 
fined in  the  place  during  his  imprisonment.  He  told  me 
that  the  archer  Nicholas  had  given  him  his  information,  and 
had,  besides,  brought  him  everything  he  required  ;  and  in 
proof  of  the  former  statement,  he  gave  me  a  pretty  exact 
account  of  my  own  abortive  effort  to  escape.  It  had  taken 


1 82  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

two  hours  to  repair  the  damage  I  had  done,  and  Laurent 
had  forbidden  the  workmen  engaged,  as  well  as  the  archers, 
to  mention  the  matter,  under  pain  of  death.  'Another 
day,'  said  the  archer,  '  and  Cassanova  would  have  escaped, 
and  Laurent's  life  would  hardly  have  been  worth  an  hour's 
purchase ;  for  with  all  his  surprise  at  the  sight  of  the  hole, 
there  can  be  no  doubt  that  he  himself  unwittingly  supplied 
the  instruments  with  which  it  was  made.'  The  monk  con- 
cluded by  begging  me  to  give  him  an  account  of  the  whole 
affair,  and  in  particular  to  inform  him  how  I  had  obtained 
my  tools,  adding,  that  I  might  count  safely  on  his  discretion. 
"  I  had  no  doubt  whatever  as  to  his  curiosity,  but  I  was 
absolutely  without  confidence  in  his  discretion,  especially 
after  the  proof  of  it  he  had  just  given  me  in  his  foolish  request. 
I  thought,  however,  I  might  make  him  useful,  for  he  seemed 
just  the  kind  of  man  to  follow  my  directions  in  everything. 
I  began  a  reply  to  it ;  but  while  writing  it  a  suspicion 
crossed  my  mind,  which  induced  me  to  hold  it  back  for  a 
time.  What  if  this  correspondence  might,  after  all,  be  a 
mere  device  of  Laurent's  for  finding  out  how  I  obtained  my 
tools  !  But,  in  order  to  satisfy  Balbi  without  compromising 
myself,  I  told  him  that  I  had  made  the  opening  by  means  of 
a  strong  knife,  which  I  had  hidden  in  the  sill  of  the  corridor 
window.  In  less  than  three  days  I  was  satisfied  that  the 
suspicion  was  groundless,  for  Laurent  took  no  notice  of  the 
window-sill.  Balbi,  too,  wrote  to  say  that  he  could  easily 
understand  .how  I  had  concealed  the  knife,  for  Laurent 
himself  had  told  him  that  I  had  not  been  searched  on 
entering  the  prison.  He  concluded  by  begging  me  to  send 
him  my  knife,  through  Nicholas,  in  whom,  he  assured  me,  I 
might  safely  confide.  The  carelessness  of  this  monk  was 
almost  inconceivable.  I  wrote  to  tell  him  that  I  was  not 


CASSANOVA  DE  SEINGALT.  183 

by  any  means  inclined  to  share  my  secrets  with  Nicholas,  and 
that  I  was  still  less  disposed  to  trust  them  to  paper. 

"  My  suspicions  were,  however,  quite  set  at  rest,  and  I 
again  began  to  think  about  my  escape.  I  reflected  in  this 
way  : — I  wish  at  any  price  to  procure  my  liberty.  The 
crowbar  I  have  is  an  excellent  one,  but  it  is  impossible 
to  use  it,  for  every  part  of  my  cell,  except  the  ceiling,  is 
sounded  and  examined  every  day.  To  escape  from  here  I 
must  make  a  hole  through  the  ceiling ;  but  that  will  be  no 
easy  matter,  working,  as  I  do,  from  below ;  and  in  no  case 
will  it  be  the  affair  of  a  day.  I  want  an  ally,  who  would  be 
willing  to  escape  with  me.  There  was  not  much  choice, 
and  the  only  person  whose  name  suggested  itself  to  my 
mind  was  the  monk.  He  was  twenty-eight  years  of  age, 
and,  though  he  was  not  rich  in  good  sense,  I  thought  that 
the  love  of  liberty — that  most  enduring  of  man's  passions — 
would,  at  least,  give  him  resolution  enough  to  obey  my 
instructions.  I  was  obliged  to  commence  with  a  resolution 
to  confide  everything  to  him,  and  then  to  find  out  how  to 
make  him  my  instrument — both  very  difficult  points. 

"  I  began  by  asking  him  if  he  desired  his  liberty,  and  if 
he  were  willing  to  risk  everything  for  the  sake  of  procuring 
it  with  me.  He  replied  that  both  his  companion  and  him- 
self were  capable  of  any  enterprise  that  might  lead  to 
freedom,  but  that  it  would  be  folly  to  peril  one's  life  in 
schemes  that  had  no  reasonable  prospect  of  success.  He 
filled  four  long  pages  with  a  list  of  the  impossibilities  which 
overawed  his  poor  spirit.  I  replied  that  in  forming  my 
plans  I  paid  no  attention  to  mere  difficulties  of  detail,  for 
that  I  felt  sure  of  being  able  to  overcome  them  the  moment 
they  presented  themselves,  and  I  went  on  to  give  him  niy 
word  of  honour  that  I  would  set  him  free  if  he  would  follow 


I  84  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

my  directions  in  everything.  He  gave  the  required  promise, 
and  I  then  informed  him  that  I  had  a  crowbar  some  twenty 
inches  in  length,  and  that  by  means  of  this  instrument  he 
was  to  break  through  the  ceiling  of  his  cell,  and  then  make 
a  hole  in  the  wall  that  separated  us,  and  join  me,  and  that 
afterwards  he  was  to  help  me  to  break  through  my  ceiling 
and  to  make  my  way  through  the  opening. 

"  *  When  we  have  arrived  at  that  point,'  I  added,  '  your 
task  will  be  done,  and  mine  will  begin,  and  I  will  undertake 
to  set  you  and  the  Count  Asquin  at  liberty.' 

"  He  replied  that  when  he  had  helped  me  out  of  my  cell 
we  should  still  be  nevertheless  in  prison, — that  we  should 
simply  have  effected  a  change  of  place  without  any  corres- 
ponding change  of  circumstances,  for  we  should  be  wan- 
dering in  the  gallery,  cut  off  from  the  outer  world  by  the 
three  strong  doors. 

"  '  I  know  that  very  well,  reverend  father,'  I  replied  ;  'but 
we  are  not  going  to  leave  the  place  by  the  doors  at  all.  My 
plan  is  complete,  and  I  feel  certain  of  success.  All  that  1 
ask  of  you  is  exactness  and  fidelity  in  the  execution  of  your 
part  of  it,  and  some  self-control  in  the  matter  of  raising 
objections.  Try  to  think  only  of  a  way  of  getting  the  crow- 
bar conveyed  to  you  without  exciting  the  suspicion  of  the 
man  who  carries  it  In  the  meantime  ask  the  jailer  to  buy 
you  some  hangings  ornamented  with  the  images  of  saints, 
and  cover  your  cell  with  them.  The  saintly  images  will 
remove  all  suspicion  from  Laurent's  mind,  and  they  will 
serve  excellently  well  to  hide  the  hole  in  the  ceiling.  It 
will  take  you  several  days  to  make  the  hole,  and  you  can  by 
this  means  always  contrive  to  hide  the  signs  of  your  activity. 
I  would  undertake  that  part  of  the  plan  myself,  but  I  am 
already  suspected,  as  you  know.' 


CASSANOVA  DE  SEINGALT.  185 

"  Although  I  urged  him  to  find  out  a  means  for  the  re- 
moval of  the  crowbar,  I  tried  constantly  to  discover  one 
myself,  and  at  length  I  had  an  idea,  which  I  hastened  to 
carry  out.  I  told  Laurent  to  buy  me  a  copy  of  a  Bible  in 
folio,  which  had  just  appeared.  I  hoped  to  be  able  to  place 
my  crowbar  in  the  back  of  this  Bible,  and  thus  to  get  it 
conveyed  to  the  monk.  But  as  soon  as  I  obtained  the  book 
I  saw  that  it  was  shorter  than  the  instrument  by  just  two 
inches.  My  correspondent  had  already  written  to  inform 
me  that  his  cell  was  covered  with  images,  and  I  had  told 
him  of  my  plan  for  sending  him  the  crowbar,  and  of  the 
difficulty  I  had  met  with.  I  was  however  firmly  resolved  to 
send  him  the  implement  by  some  means,  and  at  length  I  hit 
on  the  following  stratagem.  I  told  Laurent  that  I  wished 
to  celebrate  St.  Michael's  day  by  feasting  on  a  dish  of 
maccaroni  with  cheese,  and  that  in  return  for  the  politeness 
of  the  person  who  had  lent  me  the  books,  I  thought  of 
sending  him  a  dish  especially  prepared  by  myself.  Laurent 
observed  that  the  gentleman  was  very  anxious  to  read  the 
large  book,  which  had  cost  three  sequins.  'Very  well,' 
I  replied,  '  I  will  send  it  to  him  with  the  maccaroni,  only 
bring  me  the  very  largest  dish  you  have  in  the  place,  for  I 
wish  to  make  him  a  present  worth  his  acceptance.'  I  then 
wrapped  the  crowbar  up  in  paper  and  placed  it  in  the  back 
of  the  book,  taking  care  that  it  projected  equally  at  either 
end.  I  was  sure  that  if  I  placed  a  good  dishfull  of  mac- 
caroni on  the  Bible,  Laurent's  attention  would  be  too  much 
occupied  by  that  delicacy  to  allow  him  any  opportunity  to 
discover  the  hiding-place  of  the  crowbar.  I  prepared  Balbi 
for  all  that  was  about  to  happen,  and  enjoined  him  above  all 
to  be  careful  to  take  both  the  dish  and  the  book  from  the 
jailer's  hands. 


1 86  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

"  On  the  appointed  day  Laurent  came  earlier  than  was 
his  wont,  with  a  pot  full  of  boiling  maccaroni,  and  all  the 
ingredients  for  seasoning  it.  I  then  melted  a  quantity  of 
butter,  and  placing  the  maccaroni  in  the  dish,  I  poured 
the  butter  over  it  until  it  touched  the  very  edges.  The  dish 
was  an  enormous  one,  and  it  very  greatly  exceeded  the  book 
in  size.  All  this  was  done  at  the  door  of  my  cell  while 
Laurent  was  standing  outside.  When  everything  was  ready, 
I  carefully  lifted  Bible  and  dish,  and  placing  the  back  of  the 
book  towards  the  gaoler,  I  told  him  to  hold  out  his  arms,  to 
be  very  careful  not  to  spill  the  sauce,  and  to  make  the  best 
of  his  way  to  the  other  cell.  While  giving  him  this  impor- 
tant commission  I  kept  my  eyes  fixed  on  his,  and  I  was 
delighted  to  see  that  he  did  not  remove  his  gaze  from  the 
dish,  for  fear  of  spilling  the  butter.  He  suggested  that  it 
might  be  better  to  take  the  dish  first,  and  then  to  return  for 
the  Bible,  but  I  replied  that  the  present  would  lose  some- 
thing of  its  value  if  both  were  not  sent  together.  He  then 
complained  that  I  had  put  too  much  butter,  and  warned  me 
laughingly  that  if  he  should  spill  any  of  it  he  would  not 
hold  himself  responsible  for  the  damage. 

"  As  soon  as  I  saw  the  Bible  in  the  simpleton's  arms,  I 
felt  certain  of  success,  for  the  ends  of  the  crowbar  were 
quite  imperceptible.  I  followed  him  with  my  eyes  until  I 
saw  him  enter  the  antechamber,  and  in  a  few  moments,  the 
monk,  blowing  his  nose  three  times,  gave  the  signal  that 
everything  had  turned  out  well.  Laurent's  speedy  reappear- 
ance, too,  gave  me  another  intimation  of  the  same  joyful 
event. 

"  Father  Balbi  lost  no  time  in  carrying  out  my  intimations, 
and  in  eight  days  he  had  made  an  opening  which  he  con- 
cealed with  a  piece  of  bread  crumb.  On  the  8th  October, 


I  told  him  to  be  very  careful  not  to  spill  the  sauce. 


CASSANOVA    DE    SEINGALT.  187 

he  wrote  to  tell  me  that  he  had  been  working  all  night  On 
the  1 6th,  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  just  as  I  was  occu- 
pied in  translating  an  ode  of  Horace,  I  heard  a  stamping  of 
feet  overhead,  followed  by  three  gentle  raps — the  signal 
agreed  on — to  show  us  that  the  first  part  of  our  plan  had 
been  carried  to  a  successful  termination.  He  worked  on 
until  the  evening,  and  the  next  day  he  wrote  to  say  that 
if  my  ceiling  was  only  two  boards  thick,  his  labours  would 
be  finished  on  that  day.  He  told  me,  moreover,  that  he 
would  take  great  care  to  make  the  hole  circular,  as  I  had 
suggested,  and  that  he  would  not  cut  through  the  floor. 
This  precaution  was  absolutely  essential,  for  the  smallest 
crack  in  the  floor  would  have  led  to  instant  detection.  The 
excavation,  he  added,  was  in  such  a  state  that  another 
quarter  of  an  hour's  work  would  suffice  to  finish  it. 

"  I  had  determined  to  leave  my  cell  during  the  night,  for 
with  a  companion  I  felt  sure  of  being  able  to  make  a  hole 
in  the  great  roof  of  the  ducal  palace,  in  three  or  four  hours  ; 
and  once  on  the  roof,  I  would  take  what  opportunity  offered 
to  reach  the  ground.  But  I  had  not  yet  reached  the  roof, 
alas,  for  my  bad  fortune  placed  yet  another  difficulty  in  my 
way,  that  demanded  all  my  skill  and  address.  On  this,  very 
day — it  was  Monday — while  Balbi  was  striking  his  last 
strokes,  I  heard  the  opening  of  a  door  close  to  my  cell.  I 
felt  all  the  blood  in  my  body  freeze,  but  I  had  enough 
presence  of  mind  to  give  the  two  raps  that  warned  Balbi  to 
hurry  back  to  his  cell,  and  put  everything  in  order.  In  less 
than  a  minute  Laurent  came  in,  and  asked  my  pardon  for 
thrusting  a  very  disagreeable  companion  upon  me.  The 
new  comer,  whom  he  immediately  introduced,  was  a  little 
thin  man,  between  forty  and  fifty  years  of  age,  very  ugly, 
and  very  badly  dressed.  There  could  be  no  doubt  about 


1 88  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

his  being  a  scoundrel,  the  more  especially  as  Laurent 
announced  the  fact  to  his  face,  without  making  any  visible 
impression  on  him.  '  The  tribunal/  I  said  sulkily,  in  reply 
to  my  jailer's  communication,  '  will  of  course  do  what  it 
pleases.' 

"  Overwhelmed  with  vexation  at  this  miserable  mis- 
adventure, I  stared  fixedly  at  my  fellow  prisoner,  whose 
hang-dog  physiognomy  as  I  have  said,  betrayed  him.  I  was 
thinking  of  saying  something  to  him,  when  he  began  a  con- 
versation by  thanking  me  for  giving  him  a  palliasse.  With 
a  view  to  gaining  him  over,  I  asked  him  if  he  would  share 
my  meals  with  me.  He  kissed  my  hand,  and  asked  whether 
his  acceptance  of  my  generous  invitation  would  deprive  him 
of  his  right  to  the  ten  sous,  which  the  tribunal  had  assigned 
him  for  his  support.  On  my  telling  him  that  it  would,  he 
fell  on  his  feet,  and  drawing  an  enormous  chaplet  from  his 
pocket,  he  rolled  his  eyes  about,  until  his  glance  fell  in  every 
corner  of  the  room.  I  asked  him  what  he  was  looking  for. 
'  Pardon,  Signor,'  he  replied  :  '  I  was  in  hopes  of  finding 
some  image  of  the  Virgin,  for  I  am  a  Christian.'  It  was 
with  difficulty  that  I  kept  from  laughing — not  on  account  of 
his  piety,  for  conscience  and  faith  are  sentiments  which  it  is 
not  given  to  any  of  us  to  control — but  because  of  the  oddity 
of  his  appearance  and  manner.  I  concluded  that  he  mistook 
me  for  a  Jew,  so  to  undeceive  him,  I  gave  him  an  image  of 
the  Virgin,  which  he  kissed  with  great  fervour,  and  proceeded 
to  inform  me  that  his  father,  an  alquazil,  had  neglected  to 
have  him  taught  to  read.  '  I  am,"  he  added,  '  devoted  to 
the  holy  rosary;'  and  he  went  on  to  relate  a  number  of 
miracles  he  had  witnessed,  while  I  listened  with  the 
patience  of  an  angel.  When  he  had  done,  I  asked  him  if 
he  had  dined,  and  he  told  me  that  he  was  dying  of  hunger. 


CASSANOVA   DE   SEINGALT.  189 

I  gave  him  everything  I  had,  and  he  ate  and  drank  more 
like  a  beast  than  a  human  being.  At  length  he  got  quite 
drunk,  and  began  to  weep,  and  to  babble  all  kinds  of  foolish 
things.  I  asked  him  what  afflicted  him,  and  received  the 
following  answer.  '  My  sole  passion  has  always  been  the 
glory  of  God,  and  of  this  holy  republic ;  and  an  exact 
obedience  to  the  laws.  Ever  watchful  of  the  tricks  of  rogues, 
I  have  tried  to  discover  their  secrets,  and  to  disclose  them 
to  the  authorities.  I  have  been  well  paid,  it  is  true,  but  that 
was  no  more  than  I  deserved,  and  I  have  always  been 
unable  to  understand  the  prejudices  of  those  people  who 
pretend  to  see  something  shameful  in  the  trade  of  a  spy. 
A  spy  is  a  person  who  seeks  the  good  of  the  state,  and  is  a 
faithful  subject  of  his  government  and  prince.  And  I  can 
truly  say,  that  unlike  others  of  my  calling,  I  have  never 
suffered  private  friendship  to  stand  in  the  way  of  my  per- 
formance of  a  public  duty.' 

"The  wretch  went  on  in  this  manner  till  I  knew  him- 
for  the  foulest  spy  the  imagination  can  conceive.  His  last 
achievement  had  been  the  discovery  of  a  political  plot,  but 
he  had  had  the  weakness — incredible,  in  a  man  of  bis 
stamp — to  give  one  of  his  friends  engaged  in  the  conspiracy 
a  recommendation  to  prudence.  The  friend,  and  his  com- 
panions, had  thereupon  fled,  and  our  spy  had  been  sent  to 
prison  in  their  stead.  He  ended  by  telling  me  that  he  had 
hopes  of  being  soon  released,  his  wife  being  a  Legrenzi,  and 
daughter  of  one  of  the  secretaries  of  the  Council  of  Ten. 

"  I  shuddered  to  think  with  what  a  monster  I  was  associ- 
ated, but  feeling  that  my  situation  was  a  delicate  one,  I  at 
once  chose  my  part.  I  pretended  to  sympathise  with  him, 
and  was  loud  in  praises  of  his  patriotism,  nor  did  I  hesitate 
to  assure  him  that  so  excellent  a  man  must  be  set  at  liberty 


TQO  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

in  a  few  days.  He  shortly  after  fell  asleep,  and  I  took  the 
opportunity  of  writing  to  Father  Balbi,  to  tell  him  every- 
thing, and  to  warn  him  to  suspend  his  labours  until  he  should 
hear  from  me  again.  On  the  next  day,  I  asked  Laurent  to 
buy  me  a  wooden  crucifix,  an  image  of  the  Holy  Virgin,  and 
a  portrait  of  St.  Francis,  and  at  tlie  same  time  to  procure 
two  bottles  of  holy  water.  Soradaci  (my  companion)  took 
the  opportunity  to  ask  for  the  ten  sous  allowed  for  his  main- 
tenance, and  Laurent  tossed  twenty  sous  to  him  with  an  air  of 
great  disdain.  When  the  jailer  had  gone  away,  I  opened  the 
book,  and  found  a  letter  from  Balbi,  depicting  his  fright  in 
very  moving  terms.  He  thought  that  all  was  lost,  so  far  as 
our  plan  of  escape  was  concerned,  but  he  none  the  less 
congratulated  me  and  himself  on  our  good  fortune  in  having 
Soradaci  brought  to  my  cell,  rather  than  to  theirs,  '  for  if 
Laurent  had  come  to  our  cell,'  he  continued,  '  I  should  have 
been  missed,  and  everything  would  have  been  discovered.' 

"Soradaci's  tale  convinced  me  that  he  was  no  better  than 
a  spy  upon  me,  so  I  made  up  my  mind  to  meet  him  with 
his  own  weapons  of  stratagem  and  cunning.  I  wrote  and 
confided  to  his  care  two  letters,  so  worded,  that  if  sent  to 
their  address,  they  would  do  me  neither  harm  nor  good,  while 
they  would  be  likely  to  do  me  good,  if  handed  over  to  the 
secretary,  and  that  I  did  not  doubt  would  be  the  case." 

Soradaci,  on  receiving  the  letters,  took  the  most  solemn 
and  the  most  terrible  oaths  that  he  would  faithfully  deliver 
them  at  their  destinations  when  he  recovered  his  liberty.  In 
some  few  days  he  was  called  before  the  secretary  of  the 
tribunal,  and  afterwards  taken  back  to  prison.  Cassanova 
wishing  to  assure  himself  of  the  correctness  of  his  suspicions, 
asked  him  to  return  one  of  the  letters,  on  the  plea  that  it 
.contained  something  he  wished  to  alter. 


CASSANOVA  DE   SEINGALT.  1 91 

"  The  monster  then  threw  himself  at  my  feet,  and  declared 
that  on  his  appearance  before  the  terrible  secretary,  he  had 
been  so  seized  with  fright,  that  it  was  seen  he  had  some 
secret  on  his  mind,  and  he  had  been  obliged  to  betray  me. 
I  pretended  to  be  greatly  troubled,  and  throwing  myself 
before  an  image  of  the  Virgin,  I  solemnly  demanded 
vengeance  on  the  head  of  the  villain  who  had  consigned  me 
to  destruction.  I  next  flung  myself  on  the  bed  with  my 
face  to  the  wall,  and  had  the  constancy  to  remain  in  this 
position  all  day,  without  moving,  or  uttering  a  word,  and 
pretending  not  to  hear  the  sobs,  the  repentant  cries,  and 
the  protestations  of  this  miserable  wretch.  In  short,  I 
admirably  played  my  part  in  a  comedy  of  which  I  had  the 
entire  plan  in  my  head.  During  the  night,  I  wrote  to  Balbi 
to  come  and  finish  his  work  at  half-past  eleven  in  the 
morning — riot  a  moment  sooner  or  later — and  to  work  exactly 
four  hours,  and  not  a  moment  more.  '  Our  liberty,'  I  said, 
'  depends  on  the  most  rigorous  exactitude  in  this  matter,  and 
you  have  nothing  to  fear.' 

"  It  was  the  2 5th  of  October,  and  the  time  for  me  to  carry 
out  my  plan  or  to  abandon  it  for  ever  was  at  hand.  The 
state  inquisitors  and  the  secretary  went  every  year  to  pass 
the  three  first  days  of  November  in  the  country ;  and  Lau- 
rent, taking  advantage  of  their  absence,  used  invariably  to 
get  drank  in  the  evening  and  to  make  a  very  late  appear- 
ance among  the  prisoners  in  the  morning.  I  chose  this 
time,  therefore,  for  my  flight,  persuaded  that  I  should  not 
be  missed  till  the  day  was  pretty  well  advanced.  Another 
reason,  too,  had  something  to  co  with  my  determination.  I 
had  consulted  an  oracle  of  fate  by  looking  into  Ariosto, 
according  to  certain  cabalistic  formulas,  and  had  lighted 
0:1  the  following  verse  : — '  Fra  il  fin  d'  ottobre  e  il  capo  di 


IQ2  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

novemlre '  (between  the  end  of  October  and  the  beginning 
of  November).  The  precision  of  the  passage  and  its  appli- 
cability to  the  design  I  had  already  formed  both  seemed  so 
extraordinary  that  the  reader  will  pardon  me  if  I  used  every 
effort  to  bring  about  the  fulfilment  of  the  prophecy  it  seemed 
to  contain. 

"  I  passed  the  morning  in  the  following  manner,  in  order 
to  deceive  this  base  and  stupid  creature,  to  confuse  his  weak 
understanding,  to  hinder  him,  in  a  word,  from  mining  my 
scheme.  As  soon  as  Laurent  had  left  us  I  bade  Sorodaci 
come  and  take  his  soup.  The  wretch  had  gone  to  bed  ; 
he  had  told  Laurent  that  he  was  ill,  and  he  would  not  have 
dared  to  come  to  me  if  I  had  not  called  him.  He  advanced 
towards  me  with  every  sign  of  fear,  and  throwing  himself  flat 
on  his  stomach  he  crawled  to  my  feet,  kissed  them,  and 
assured  me,  amid  floods  of  tears,  that  if  I  did  not  forgive 
him  it  would  certainly  be  the  death  of  him  before  the  day 
was  out,  for  he  already  felt  the  effect  of  the  Holy  Virgin's 
curse.  He  was  seized  with  racking  pains  in  the  inside,  and 
his  mouth  was  full  of  ulcers.  I  did  not  take  the  trouble  to 
examine  him  to  ascertain  if  he  spoke  the  truth ;  my  object 
was  to  appear  to  believe  him  and  to  make  him  entertain 
hopes  of  pardon  ;  and  to  do  that  it  was  at  first  necessary  to 
make  him  eat  and  drink.  The  traitor  probably  intended  to 
deceive  me  ;  but  as  I  had  the  same  intention  with  regard  to 
him  it  was  simply  a  question  as  to  which  of  us  should  forestal 
the  other.  I  had  prepared  an  attack  on  his  credulity  which 
I  knew  it  would  be  difficult  for  him  to  withstand.  I  assumed 
an  inspired  air,  and  bade  him,  in  a  voice  of  authority,  sit 
down  and  eat  his  soup,  assuring  him  that  when  he  had  done 
that  I  would  give  him  '  a  piece  of  good  news.'  '  Know,'  I  con- 
tinued, '  that  the  Holy  Virgin  has  appeared  to  me  and  has 


CASPANOVA   DE   SEINGALT.  193 

commanded  me  to  pardon  you  j  you  will  not  die,  but  you 
will  leave  this  place  with  me.'  He  was  thunderstruck,  and 
he  at  once  began  to  eat  his  soup,  submissively  resting  on 
his  knees,  there  being  no  chair  in  the  cell.  He  afterwards: 
sat  down  on  his  palliasse  and  listened  attentively  for  further 
revelations.  I  then  continued  :  '  Your  horrible  treason  has 
cost  me  a  sleepless  night,  for  my  letter  was  of  a  nature  to 
ensure  my  condemnation  to  perpetual  imprisonment.  My 
sole  consolation,  I  confess,  was  the  certainty  that  in  less 
than  three  days  you  would  die  in  torments  before  my  eyes. 
With  my  heart  full  of  this  wicked  thought — unworthy  of  a 
Christian,  for  God  commands  us  to  pardon  our  enemies — 
\  went  to  sleep,  and  in  my  dream  the  Holy  Virgin  came  to 
me  in  a  vision  and  said,  "Sorodaci  is  a  devotee  of  the 
Holy  Rosary  and  I  protect  him.  I  command  you  to  pardon 
him,  and  I  will  remove  the  curse  which  you  have  called 
down  upon  his  head.  As  a  reward  for  your  generous  act  I 
will  command  one  of  my  angels  to  assume  the  human  form, 
to  descend  from  heaven  to  break  your  prison  b^nds,  and  to 
release  you  from  this  place  in  five  or  six  days.  The  angel 
will  commence  his  work  to-day  at  half-past  eleven  precisely, 
and  will  finish  it  at  half-past  three,  for  he  must  re-ascend 
to  heaven  in  open  day.  On  leaving  the  prison,  in  company 
with  the  angel,  you  must  take  Sorodaci  with  you  and  provide 
for  his  safety,  on  condition  of  his  giving  up  his  trade  of  spy. 
Repeat  to  him  all  I  have  said  to  you."  At  these  words  the 
Holy  Virgin  disappeared,  and  I  awoke.' 

"  Still  maintaining  my  seriousness  and  my  inspired  air,  1 
watched  the  traitor's  face,  and  observed  that  he  was  petrified 
with  astonishment  and  fear.  I  then  took  my  breviary  in 
one  hand,  and  with  the  other  sprinkled  the  cell  with  holv 
water  in  every  part.  In  a  little  time  the  fellow  asked  me  at 


IQ4  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES 

what  hour  the  angel  would  descend,  and  whether  he  would 
make  any  noise  in  breaking  into  the  prison. 

"  '  I  am  certain/  I  replied,  '  that  he  will  come  at  half-past 
three,  that  we  shall  hear  him  at  work,  and  that  he  will  leave 
precisely  at  the  time  the  Virgin  has  named.' 

"  '  You  may  have  been  merely  dreaming,'  he  ventured, 
timidly. 

"  '  No  ;  I  am  sure  I  did  not  dream.  And  now,  do  you 
feel  yourself  capable  of  taking  an  oath  never  again  to  become 
a  spy?' 

"  Instead  of  replying,  he  lay  down  on  the  bed  and  went  to 
sleep.  He  awoke  in  two  hours  with  the  question,  Whether 
it  was  not  possible  to  defer  the  taking  of  the  oath  ? 

"  '  You  may  defer  it,'  I  replied,  '*  until  the  coming  of  the 
angel,  if  you  like  ;  but  if  you  are  not  ready  to  swear  then,  I 
will  leave  you  to  your  miserable  trade  and  the  miserable  fate 
that  will  surely  overtake  you  if  you  continue  thus  to  offend 
God  and  man/ 

"  I  read  in  his  detestable  face  the  satisfaction  he  derived 
from  this  announcement,  for  it  was  easy  to  see  he  felt  sure 
the  angel  would  not  come.  I  waited  anxiously  to  hear  the 
clock  strike,  for  I  felt  certain  that  the  '  arrival  of  the  angel ' 
would  end  in  the  overthrow  of  his  miserable  reason.  As 
soon,  therefore,  as  I  heard  the  first  stroke  of  the  appointed 
hour,  I  threw  myself  on  my  knees  and  ordered  him,  in  a 
voice  of  authority,  to  do  the  same.  He  obeyed  me  with  a 
terrified  air.  As  soon  as  I  heard  the  monk  approaching  I 
cried  out  hastily,  '  The  angel  is  coming  ' '  and  throwing 
myself  flat  on  my  stomach  I  gave  the  terrified  spy  a  vigorous 
blow  with  my  fist,  that  forced  him  to  assume  the  same 
posture.  The  monk's  operations  made  a  great  noise,  and 
ttiey  lasted  a  sufficiently  long  time,  for  I  had  to  remain  for 


CASSANOVA    DE   SEINGALT.  195 

at  least  a  quarter  of  an  hour  in  my  disagreeable  position. 
In  any  other  case  I  should  have  been  ready  to  die  with' 
laughter  at  the  sight  of  the  miserable  wretch  lying  motionless 
at  my  side.  But  I  carefully  refrained  even  from  smiling,  for 
I  felt  that  too  much  was  at  stake  to  permit  of  such  an 
indulgence.  I  presently  got  up  and  assumed  a  kneeling 
attitude,  giving  him  to  understand  that  he  was  to  do  the 
same  ;  and  he  passed  three  hours  and  a  half  in  this  manner, 
telling  his  beads  all  the  while.  From  time  to  time  he  fell 
asleep,  from  sheer  weariness,  and  now  and  then  he  cast  a 
furtive  glance  at  the  ceiling,  his  face  all  the  while  wearing 
an  expression  of  the  most  complete  stupor.  At  length  I 
called  out,  in  a  tone  half  solemn,  half  devotional,  '  Prostrate 
yourself,  for  the  angel  is  leaving  !'  and  just  then  Balbi  went 
away  to  his  own  cell,  and  every  sound  was  hushed.  On 
rising,  I  perceived,  by  the  wretch's  countenance,  that  his 
mind  was  full  of  anxiety  and  fright.  I  was  delighted,  for  I 
saw  in  this  an  opportunity  of  imposing  on  him  some  penance 
adequate  to  his  manifold  misdeeds.  '  When  Laurent  comes 
in  the  morning,'  I  said,  '  you  will  throw  yourself  on  the  bed, 
with  your  face  to  the  wall,  without  making  the  slightest 
movement  or  uttering  a  word.  If  he  shoiM  speak  you  must 
reply,  without  looking  at  him,  that  you  have  not  been  able 
to  sleep,  and  that  you  are  in  want  of  rest.  Do  you  promise 
this  without  reserve?' 

"  '  I  promise,'  he  stammered  out,  '  to  do  everything  you 
have  said.' 

"  '  Swear  it,'  I  said,  '  before  this  holy  image  !  And  now, 
most  Holy  Virgin,'  I  continued,  addressing  the  image,  '  I 
swear  that  if  I  hear  Sorodaci  utter  a  word,  or  make  a  single 
movement,  I  will  strangle  him  like  a  dog.'  I  reckoned  that 
this  threat  would  have  at  least  as  much  effect  upon  him  as 

o  2 


196  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

the  oath.  I  then  gave  him  something  to  eat,  and  ordered 
him  to  go  to  bed ;  and  as  soon  as  he  had  fallen  asleep  I  sat 
down  and  wrote  for  a  couple  of  hours,  informing  Balbi  that 
all  was  ready,  and  that  he  had  nothing  to  do  to  reach  me 
but  to  revisit  the  roof  of  my  cell  and  break  the  planks  of 
the  ceiling.  I  added  that  we  should  leave  on  the  3ist  of 
October,  and  that  there  would  be  four  of  us,  counting  his 
companion  and  mine. 

"It  was  the  28th.  The  next  day  the  monk  wrote  to  say 
that  the  passage  between  the  two  cells  was  quite  ready,  and 
that  the  breaking  through  the  last  plank  would  be  an 
affair  of  but  four  or  five  minutes.  Sorodaci,  faithful  to  his 
sworn  promise,  pretended  to  be  asleep,  and  Laurent  did 
not  speak  to  him.  But  I  did  not  keep  my  eyes  off  him  for 
a  moment,  and  I  really  believe  that  if  he  had  uttered  a 
word  I  should  have  killed  him  on  the  spot.  I  devoted  the 
rest  of  the  day  to  the  delivery  of  a  series  of  sublime  dis- 
courses on  the  recent  remarkable  visitation,  and  I  was 
pleased  to  see  that  every  word  I  spoke  increased  the 
fanatical  terror  with  which  he  regarded  me.  I  took  care 
to  ply  him  well  with  wine,  as  well  as  with  mystifying  in- 
fluences of  a  religious  nature,  and  I  did  not  leave  him  to 
himself  until  I  saw  him  fairly  overpowered  with  drunkenness 
and  sleep.  For  one  moment,  indeed,  he  had  a  feeble 
glimmering  of  common  sense,  for  he  observed  that  it  ought 
not  to  take  an  angel  three  hours  to  break  into  a  cell.  '  The 
ways  of  heaven,'  I  replied,  'are  incomprehensible  to  mor- 
tals, and  this  heavenly  messenger  clearly  is  not  working 
in  his  celestial  capacity,  or  otherwise  he  could  force  a 
way  through  the  ceiling  with  a  single  breath.  He  works  in 
his  human  capacity,  doubtless  out  of  pity  for  us,  who  could 
not  otherwise  endure  the  sight  of  his  glory.' 


Balbi  rolled  down  into  my  arms. 


CASSANOVA    DE    SEINGALT.  197 

"On  the  next  day  Laurent  asked  after  his  health,  and 
he  replied  without  raising  his  head.  It  was  the  same  on 
succeeding  days,  till  at  length  we  had  our  last  interview 
with  our  gaoler  on  the  3ist.  I  gave  him  the  book  as  usual, 
containing  a  message  for  Balbi  to  come  at  half-past  nine 
in  the  morning,  and  break  through  the  ceiling.  I  had  no 
apprehension  that  any  accident  would  mar  the  execution  of 
our  plot,  for  I  had  heard  from  Laurent  that  the  inquisitors 
and  the  secretary  had  already  gone  into  the  country.  There 
was  no  danger  of  my  again  having  a  companion  thrust  upon 
me  at  the  eleventh  hour,  and  I  had  found  out  how  to 
manage  the  wretch  whose  coming  had  once  threatened  to 
prove  the  downfall  of  all  my  hopes. 

"  When  Laurent  left  I  told  Sorodaci  that  we  might  now 
expect  the  angel  very  shortly.  '  He  will  bring  a  pair  of 
scissors  with  htm,'  I  added,  '  and  it  will  be  your  office  to 
clip  his  beard  and  mine.' 

"  '  Has  the  angel  a  beard  then  ?'   inquired  the  simpleton. 

" '  Yes,  as  you  will  see.  When  you  have  done  this,  we 
shall  all  leave  the  cell  and  break  through  the  roof  of  the 
palace,  whence  we  shall  drop  down  into  the  great  square  of 
St.  Mark.' 

"  He  did  not  reply,  but  went  on  eating  his  breakfast.  As 
for  me,  I  could  touch  nothing  at  all,  for  my  anxiety  as  to  the 
success  of  my  enterprise  deprived  me  of  all  appetite,  as 
it  had  made  me  quite  insensible  to  fatigue. 

"  The  appointed  hour  struck,  and  the  angel  was  heard. 
Sorodaci  was  about  to  prostrate  himself,  but  I  told  him  that 
was  no  longer  necessary.  In  less  than  three  minutes 
the  ceiling  was  broken  through,  and  Balbi  rolled  down 
into  my  arms.  '  And  now,'  said  I,  '  your  work  is  done, 
and  mine  begins.'  We  embraced,  and  he  gave  me  back 


198  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

my  crowbar  and  placed  the  scissors  in  my  hands.  I  told 
Sorodaci  to  cut  our  beards;  but  I  could  not  help  laughing  at 
tne  sight  of  the  wretch,  with  his  mouth  wide  open,  staring  at 
the  angel,  who  bore  so  much  resemblance  to  a  supernatural 
being  of  another  kind.  But  astonished  and  terrified  as  he 
was,  he  did  his  office  with  the  greatest  ease. 

"Anxious  to  reconnoitre  our  position,  I  told  Balbi  to  stay 
with  the  spy  (for  I  dared  not  leave  Sorodaci  alone)  while  I 
visited  the  cell  where  the  count  was  confined.  I  found 
it  without  difficulty,  and  embraced  a  noble  looking  old 
man  who,  however,  seemed  scarcely  strong  enough  to 
support  the  fatigues  of  our  meditated  flight.  He  asked 
me  what  my  plan  was,  and  observed  that  he  feared  I  was 
going  to  work  rather  recklessly.  '  I  must  go  on.'  I  replied, 
'  until  I  find  either  liberty  or  death.'  '  If  you  think,'  said 
he,  'to  break  through  the  roof  and  then  to  drop  into  the 
courtyard,  I  don't  see  how  you  can  possibly  succeed,  as 
you  are  without  wings ;  and  I,  at  least,  dare  not  venture 
to  accompany  you ;  but  I  will  stay  here  and  pray  to  Heaven 
on  your  behalf.' 

"I  left  him  to  look  at  the  palace  roof,  drawing  as  near  as 
I  could  to  the  walls  of  the  granary.  In  tapping  the  wood- 
work of  the  roof  with  my  crowbar,  I  discovered  to  my  great 
satisfaction  that  it  was  quite  rotten.  The  planks  crumbled 
to  dust  the  moment  they  were  touched.  Judging  that  I 
could  easily  make  an  opening  large  enough  for  my  require- 
ments in  about  an  hour,  I  returned  to  my  cell,  and  spent 
four  hours  in  cutting  up  my  bedclothes  and  every  piece  of 
drapery  I  could  find  there,  and  making  a  rope  of  the  shreds. 
I  took  care  to  make  the  knots  very  strong,  and  to  test  each 
one  as  I  went  on.  \Vhen  the  rope  was  finished  I  made  a 
bundle  of  my  coat,  my  cloak,  and  a  few  other  things,  and 


CASSANOVA   DE   SEINGALT.  199 

went  with  the  monk  and  Sorodaci  to  the  count's  cell. 
Sorodaci's  air  of  utter  bewilderment  would  have  made 
the  dullest  fellow  smile.  I  had  long  since  thrown  off 
the  inconvenient  mask  of  the  visionary  which  I  had  at  first 
assumed,  and  I  could  see  that  he  felt  he  had  been  tricked, 
though  it  must  still  have  been  a  matter  of  wonder  to  him 
how  I  could  have  contrived  to  ensure  the  visits  of  my 
'angel'  at  the  appointed  hours.  He  listened  with  great 
attention  to  the  count's  arguments  against  our  plan  of 
escape,  and  he  seemed  to  be  meditating  an  excuse  for 
staying  behind.  Meanwhile,  I  told  the  monk  to  get  his 
bundle  ready  while  I  went  to  make  the  hole  in  the  roof. 

"At  about  seven  o'clock  I  had  finished  this  part  of  the 
work.  I  pierced  a  hole  through  the  wood  without  the  least 
difficulty,  but  the  leaden  coating  of  the  planks  did  not  yield 
so  easily,  and  I  was  obliged  to  obtain  the  assistance  of  the 
monk  before  I  could  wrench  it  off.  I  then  put  my  head 
through  the  opening,  and  felt  for  a  few  moments,  with  a 
delight  that  I  can  hardly  express,  that  I  was  breathing 
the  air  of  liberty.  But  unfortunately  the  moon  was  at 
the  full,  and  I  saw  myself  doomed  to  wait  for  many  weary 
hours  before  I  could  venture  to  move.  The  night  was  a 
superb  one;  all  the  best  society  in  Venice  was  taking 
the  air  in  the  square  of  St.  Mark,  but  I  dared  not  stand  on 
the  roof,  for  my  shadow  would  have  betrayed  me  to  the 
people  below,  I  therefore  told  my  companions  firmly  that 
we  could  not  leave  before  ten  o'clock  at  the  earliest,  and  as 
the  sun  did  not  rise  before  half-past  six,  this  would  give 
us  some  eight  hours  and  a  half  of  perfect  darkness, — more 
by  far  than  we  were  likely  to  require. 

"I  accordingly  suggested  to  Balbi  that  we  might  while 
away  part  of  the  time  in  conversation  with  the  count,  and 


2OO  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

I  sent  him  at  once — before  leaving  the  roof  myself — to 
borrow  thirty  sequins  of  the  old  man,  for  I  knew  that  money 
would  now  be  as  indispensable  to  the  success  of  our  plan  as 
the  crowbar  had  formerly  been.  Balbi  went  away,  but  soon 
returned  with  the  message  that  the  count  would  like  to  see 
me  alone.  The  poor  old  nobleman  began  to  tell  me, 
with  his  usual  mildness,  that  money  would  not  help  me 
to  escape,  that  in  fact  he  had  no  money,  that  his  family 
was  a  large  one,  and  that  if  I  perished,  anything  he  might 
give  me  would  be  lost.  He  ended  by  giving  me  two  sequins 
on  condition  that  I  should  return  them  if  I  finally  decided 
on  abandoning  my  perilous  design.  His  last  words  showed 
how  little  he  knew  me,  for  1  was  fully  prepared  to  die 
rather  than  remain  where  I  was. 

"I  called  my  companions  together,  and  when  we  had 
placed  our  bundles  near  the  hole,  we  passed  some  hours  in 
talking  of  the  difficulties  we  had  already  surmounted,  and 
of  those  that  still  lay  before  us.  The  first  proof  that  Balbi 
gave  me  of  the  nobleness  of  his  character  was  to  repeat  at 
least  half  a  dozen  times  that  I  had  deceived  him  in  saying 
my  plan  was  complete,  and  that  if  he  had  foreseen  the  real 
state  of  my  preparations,  he  would  never  have  helped  me 
to  leave  my  cell. 

"  The  count  too  employed  all  his  eloquence  to  dissuade 
me  from  the  attempt.  'The  roof,  covered  as  it  is  with 
lead,'  said  he,  '  is  so  steep  that  you  cannot  hope  to  keep 
your  footing  on  it.'  (This  was  totally  false,  for  the  slope 
is  unusually  gentle.)  'And  on  which  side  do  you  pro- 
pose to  drop  ?  Surely  not  on  that  looking  towards  the 
piazzetta,  for  you  would  be  seen  at  once.  You  cannot 
take  the  side  nearest  the  church,  for  that  looks  into  a  high 
walled  court ;  and  to  drop  on  the  side  nearest  the  arsenal, 


CASSANOVA   DE   SEINGALT.  2OI 

would  be  to  fall  right  into  the  hands  of  the  guards,  who  are 
constantly  making  their  rounds.' 

"  This  kind  of  talking  made  my  blood  boil,  though  I  forced 
myself  to  listen  to  it  with  patience.  The  monk's  reproaches 
in  particular,  incensed  me  greatly,  but  I  felt  that  my  posi- 
tion was  a  delicate  one.  I  was  dealing  with  a  coward  who 
might  at  any  time  discover  that  he  was  not  desperate 
enough  to  set  death  at  defiance,  and  without  him  I  knew 
it  would  be  impossible  to  proceed.  I,  therefore,  did 
violence  to  my  feelings,  and  mildly  assured  both  my  fellow- 
prisoners,  that  I  felt  sure  of  success  though  I  could  not 
give  them  all  the  details  of  my  plan.  While  thus  engaged 
I  from  time  to  time  put  forth  my  hand  to  ascertain  if 
Sorodaci  was  still  near  me,  and  I  laughed  inwardly  at  what 
I  guessed  would  be  his  secret  meditations  now  that  he 
knew  I  had  deceived  him.  At  ten  o'clock  I  told  him  to  go 
and  find  out  in  what  quarter  the  moon  lay.  He  obeyed, 
and  in  a  short  time  came  back  to  say  that  in  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  it  would  be  quite  dark,  and  that  a  thick  fog  was  falling, 
which  threatened  to  add  a  new  danger  to  our  attempted 
flight.  *  Never  mind  that/  I  replied,  '  but  take  your 
bundle  and  be  ready  to  follow  me.'  At  these  words,  what 
was  my  surprise  to  find  Sorodaci  at  my  feet,  seizing  my 
hands,  and  imploring  me,  in  a  voice  broken  by  sobs,  not 
to  lead  him  to  certain  death.  'I  shall  be  sure  to  fall  into 
the  canal,'  he  whimpered,  '  and  I  cannot  be  of  the  least  use 
in  the  world  to  you.  Alas,  leave  me  here,  and  I  will  pass  the 
night  in  praying  to  St.  Francis  for  your  success.  You  may 
kill  me  if  you  like,  but  I  will  never  follow  you.'  The  fool 
did  not  know  how  exactly  he  anticipated  my  wishes.  '  You 
are  right,'  I  replied,  '  and  you  may  remain,  but  only  on 
condition  that  you  pray  incessantly  to  St.  Francis,  and  that 


202  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

you  carry  all  the  books  I  have  left  behind  to  the  count's 
room.'  He  ran  away  without  replying,  and  doubtless  with  a 
heart  overflowing  with  joy.  My  books  were  worth  about  a 
hundred  crowns,  and  the  count  told  me  that  he  would  give 
me  the  money  for  them  on  my  return.  '  You  will  never  see 
me  here  again,'  I  replied,  'on  that  you  may  safely  rely; 
but  the  value  of  the  books  may  be  taken  as  a  set  off  against 
your  loan  of  the  sequins.  As  for  this  scoundrel  I  am 
delighted  to  think  he  has  not  the  courage  to  follow  me, 
for  I  should  not  know  what  to  do  with  him ;  and  besides 
he  is  altogether  unworthy  to  share  the  honour  of  such 
an  escape  as  this  with  Balbi  and  myself.'  'Very  good,' 
replied  the  count;  'only  take  care  that  to-morrow  he  has 
not  occasion  to  congratulate  himself  on  his  cowardice.' 

"  It  was  now  time  to  go,  for  the  moon  had  disappeared, 
and  it  was  quite  dark.  I  tied  half  our  bundle  of  cords 
round  Balbi's  shoulders,  together  with  his  own  bundle  of 
clothes ;  and  having  equipped  myself  in  the  same  way,  we 
made  for  the  opening  in  the  roof. 

"  I  went  out  first,  and  Balbi  followed.  I  had  the  crowbar 
in  my  right  hand,  and,  using  this  as  a  kind  of  prop,  I  con- 
trived, by  crawling  on  all  fours,  to  reach  the  summit  of  the 
roof.  The  monk  clung  to  my  waistband,  and  I  dragged 
him  up,  so  that  I  was  like  a  beast  of  burden  groaning  under 
a  double  load;  and  all  this  on  a  sloping  roof,  rendered  quite 
slippery  by  a  dewy  fog. 

"  When  we  were  about  half  way  up,  the  monk  implored 
me  to  stop,  as  he  had  lost  one  of  his  packets,  and  hoped  to 
be  able  to  find  it  in  the  gutter.  My  first  impulse  was  to 
give  him  a  sound  kick  and  to  send  him  after  his  packet. 
But,  happily,  I  was  enabled  to  restrain  myself,  for  to  have 
lost  his  co-operation  would  have  been  to  forfeit  my  only 


CASSANOVA  DE  SEINGALT.  203 

chance  of  escape.  I  asked  him  if  it  was  the  packet  of  cords, 
and  he  informed  me,  to  my  great  joy,  that  it  was  the  other 
one,  containing  a  valuable  manuscript,  which  he  had  dis- 
covered in  the  prison,  and  which  he  hoped  would  be  the 
means  of  making  his  fortune.  I  told  him  that  we  could  not 
possibly  return  for  it,  for  that  a  single  retrograde  step  would 
be  the  ruin  of  us.  The  poor  fellow  breathed  a  deep  sigh, 
and  we  went  on  climbing  as  before. 

"  At  length,  as  I  have  said,  we  reached  the  summit  of  the 
roof.  I  comfortably  got  astride,  and  Father  Balbi  followed 
my  example.  Behind  us  was  the  little  island  of  St.  George 
the  Greater,  and  a  couple  of  hundred  paces  in  front  were 
the  numerous  cupolas  of  the  church  of  St.  Mark.  My  first 
act  was  to  rid  myself  of  my  burden,  and  I  invited  my  com- 
panion to  do  the  same.  He  placed  his  bundle  of  cords 
under  his  thighs,  as  well  as  he  could  ;  but,  wishing  to  take 
off  his  hat,  which  hurt  him,  and  being  awkward,  it  rolled 
from  tile  to  tile,  and  at  last  joined  the  packet  of  clothes  in 
the  canal.  My  poor  companion  was  in  despair.  'Bad 
omen  !'  he  exclaimed.  '  Here  I  am,  at  the  beginning  of 
our  enterprise,  without  shirt  or  hat,  without  even  my  precious 
manuscript.' 

"  '  My  dear  fellow,'  I  said,  '  these  two  accidents,  which 
are  far  from  discouraging  me,  prove  to  you  that  God  pro- 
tects us ;  for  if  your  hat,  instead  of  falling  to  the  right,  had 
fallen  to  the  left,  we  should  have  been  lost :  it  would  have 
fallen  into  the  court-yard  of  the  palace,  where  the  guards 
would  have  found  it,  and  we  should,  before  long,  have  been 
retaken.' 

"After  passing  some  minutes  looking  right  and  left,  I 
told  the  monk  not  to  stir  from  there  till  I  returned  ;  and  I 
advanced,  carrying  only  my  crowbar  in  my  hand,  along  the 


204  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

summit  of  the  roof  without  any  difficulty.  I  spent  nearly  an 
hour  on  the  roof,  going  from  side  to  side,  observing ;  but 
in  vain,  for  I  could  nowhere  find  a  point  to  which  to  fasten 
the  end  of  the  rope.  I  was  in  the  greatest  perplexity.  The 
canal  and  the  palace  court-yard  were  both  out  of  the 
question,  and  on  the  top  of  the  church  I  could  see  only 
precipices  which  led  to  no  opening.  To  go  beyond  the 
church  I  should  have  had  to  climb  ascents  so  steep  that 
I  saw  it  was  impossible. 

"  Yet  it  was  necessary  to  do  something — either  to  get  out 
or  to  return  to  the  dungeon,  never,  perhaps,  to  come  out 
again,  or  to  throw  myself  into  the  canal.  My  eye  was 
caught  by  a  garret  window  on  the  side  next  the  canal,  and 
about  two-thirds  of  the  way  down  the  slope  of  the  roof.  It 
was  far  enough  from  the  place  whence  I  had  come  out  to 
enable  me  to  judge  that  the  garret  it  gave  light  to  did  not 
belong  to  the  in  closure  of  the  prison  I  had  broken  out  from. 
It  must  be  a  loft  over  some  apartment  of  the  palace,  the 
doors  of  which  I  should  naturally  find  open  at  daybreak. 
Under  this  impression  I  thought  it  right  to  have  a  look  at 
the  garret  window ;  and,  sliding  down  gently,  I  was  soon 
astride  of  the  little  roof.  Leaning  on  my  hands,  and  stretch- 
ing forward,  I  was  able  to  see  and  touch  a  little  grating, 
behind  which  was  a  window  with  small  panes  of  glass  set  in 
lead.  The  window  was  nothing,  but  the  grating  seemed  an 
invincible  obstacle,  for  without  a  file  I  did  not  see  how  I 
could  remove  it.  I  was  confounded,  when  a  very  simple 
and  natural  thing  revived  my  spirits.  The  clock  of  St 
Martin's  striking  midnight  was  the  phenomenon  which  pro- 
duced this  effect  The  clock  reminded  me  that  All  Saints' 
Day  was  setting  in,  and  being  the  feast  of  my  patron  saint, 
the  prediction  of  my  Jesuit  confessor  recurred  to  me : 


CASSANOVA   DE   SEINCiALT.  205 

'Know  that  you  will  not  get  out  of  this  till  the  feast  of  the 
Patron  saint  whose  name  you  bear.'  But  I  own  that  what 
especially  roused  my  courage  and  added  to  my  strength 
was  the  profound  oracle  I  had  received  from  my  beloved 
Ariosto  :  '  Fra  il  fin  d"1  ottobre,  e  il  capo  di  novembre.' 

"  The  stroke  of  the  clock  was  like  a  speaking  talisman 
calling  on  me  to  act,  and  promising  victory.  Extended  at 
full  length,  with  my  head  over  the  grating,  I  pushed  the 
lock  into  the  framework  for  it,  and  determined  to  tear  it 
off  bodily.  In  a  quarter  of  an  hour  I  had  succeeded.  I 
placed  the  grating  aside,  and  I  had  no  difficulty  in 
breaking  the  glass  out,  despite  my  bleeding  hands.  Re- 
tracing my  steps,  I  got  back  to  where  I  had  left  my  com- 
panion. He  was  furfous.  He  heaped  the  grossest  abuse 
on  me  for  leaving  him  there  so  long.  He  assured  me 
he  was  only  waiting  for  it  to  strike  one,  to  return  to  his 
prison. 

"  '  What  did  you  think  about  me  then  ? ' 

" '  I  thought  you  had  fallen  down  some  precipice.' 

"  'And  you  express  your  joy  at  seeing  me  by  loading  me 
with  abuse  ? ' 

"  '  What  were  you  doing  so  long  then  ? ' 

" '  Follow  me,  and  you  shall  see.' 

"  Having  picked  up  my  packets,  I  made  my  way  back 
to  the  garret  window.  When  we  reached  it,  I  gave  Balbi 
an  exact  account  of  what  I  had  done,  and  consulted  him  as 
to  how  we  should  get  into  the  garret.  The  thing  was  easy, 
I  told  him,  for  one  of  us,  for  by  means  of  the  rope  he  could 
be  let  down  by  the  other;  but  I  did  not  see  how  the  second 
was  to  get  down,  having  no  means  of  fastening  the  rope.  If 
I  were  to  get  in  and  let  myself  slip  down,  I  might  break  my 
arms  or  legs,  for  I  did  not  know  the  distance  of  the  floor. 


206  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

To  this  reasoning  in  the  most  friendly  tone,  the  brute  re- 
plied, '  Let  me  down,  and  when  I  am  below  you  will  have 
time  enough  to  think  of  how  to  follow  me.' 

"  I  own  that  in  my  indignation  I  was  tempted  to  bury  my 
crowbar  in  his  breast.  My  good  genius  restrained  me, 
however.  I  did  not  utter  a  word  of  reproach  for  his  base 
selfishness,  but  undoing  my  bundle  of  ropes,  I  tied  them 
firmly  under  his  arms,  and  getting  him  to  lie  down  flat, 
feet  foremost,  I  lowered  him  on  to  the  roof  of  the  garret 
window.  When  he  was  there  I  bid  him  creep  into  the 
window  as  far  as  the  hips,  and  to  balance  himself  in  that 
position.  When  that  was  done,  I  slid  along  the  roof  as 
before,  and  holding  the  rope  firmly,  told  him  to  let  go,  and 
not  be  afraid.  Having  reached  the  floor,  he  untied  the 
rope,  and  I  found  that  the  height  was  more  than  fifty  feet.* 
The  leap  would  be  too  dangerous.  The  monk  cried  out  to 
me  to  throw  him  the  ropes  and  he  would  take  care.  I  was 
very  careful  not  to  follow  his  advice. 

"  Not  knowing  what  to  do,  and  waiting  for  an  inspiration, 
I  crept  upon  the  summit  of  the  roof,  and  my  eye  rested 
upon  a  spot  near  a  cupola  which  I  had  not  visited.  I  made 
my  way  to  it.  I  found  a  scaffolding  covered  with  plates  of 
lead,  near  a  large  garret  window,  closed  with  two  shutters. 
On  it  was  a  barrel  of  mortar,  a  trowel,  and  at  one  side  a 
ladder  which  appeared  long  enough  to  assist  me  to  descend 
to  the  loft  where  I  had  left  my  companion.  Passing  my 
rope  through  the  first  round,  I  dragged  the  ladder  through 
the  window.  The  point  then  was  to  get  in  this  heavy  mass 
which  was  twelve  of  my  cubits  long,f  and  the  difficulty  of 

*  The  floor  of  the  lowest  storey  of  the  palace  is  only  about  6  metres 
(19^  feet)  below  the  top  of  the  roof. 

t  The  word  cubit  here  evidently  corresponds  with  the  cordwainer's 


CASSANOVA  DE  SEINGALT.  2OJ 

the  task  made  me  repent  having  deprived  myself  of  the 
monk's  assistance.  I  had  pushed  the  ladder  until  one  of 
the  ends  touched  the  window  while  the  other  reached  a  full 
third  beyond  the  gutter.  I  got  on  to  the  top  of  the  window, 
and  dragging  the  ladder  after  me,  I  tied  the  rope  to  the 
eighth  round,  then  I  let  it  run  until  it  was  parallel  with 
the  window.  I  tried  to  pass  it  through  the  window,  but 
found  it  impossible  to  get  it  past  the  fifth  rung,  for  the  end 
was  stopped  inside  by  the  top  of  the  window.  I  might 
have  put  the  ladder  across,  tied  the  rope  to  it,  and  then  slid 
down  without  danger,  but  the  ladder  would  then  have  re- 
mained to  point  to  where  we  were  hiding. 

"  I  did  not  wish  to  risk  losing  by  imprudence  the  fruit  of 
so  much  fatigue  and  danger,  and  to  leave  no  trace  the  entire 
ladder  must  be  got  in.  Being  without  help,  I  resolved  to 
mount  to  the  gutter,  raise  it,  and  shove  it  in.  I  did  so,  but 
with  so  much  danger  that  it  was  a  marvel  I  was  not  killed. 
I  could  let  the  ladder  run  with  the  rope  without  any  fear  of 
its  falling  into  the  canal,  because  it  was  in  a  manner  hooked 
on  to  the  spout  by  the  third  round.  I  lay  on  my  stomach 
with  my  feet  against  the  marble  spout.  I  then  raised  the 
ladder  half  a  foot,  pushed  it  forward,  and  to  my  delight 
saw  it  enter  about  a  foot.  This  diminished  its  weight.  I 
had  still  to  get  it  two  feet  farther  by  raising  it  as  much,  then 
by  getting  atop  of  the  window  by  means  of  the  rope  I  could 
'get  it  in.  I  got  on  my  knees  to  raise  it,  but  the  force  I  had 
to  use  made  me  shoot  as  far  as  the  chest  over  the  roof. 

cubit.  And  if  so  the  ladder  measured  247  yards.  But  there  never  was 
a  ladder  of  this  length.  The  longest  are  not  more  than  130,  and  the 
strongest  man  cannot  manoeuvre  such  a  one,  nor  even  carry  it.  Sup- 
posing the  cubit  here  to  mean  the  same  as  the  Italian  braccio,  the  ladder 
would  even  then  be  91  yards  long,  and  it  would  have  been  difficult  for 
Cassanova  to  move  such  a  ladder,  as  he  relates.  We  must  set  it  down 
to  exaggeration,  and  let  him  go  on  with  his  story. 


20&  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

"'Itwas  a  horrible  moment:  even  now  I  tremble  at  it. 
The  natural  instinct  of  self-preservation  made  me  almost 
unconsciously  use  all  my  strength  to  turn  on  my  side  and 
stop  myself,  and  miraculously  I  succeeded.  Happily  I  had 
nothing  to  fear  for  the  ladder,  for  in  the  unlucky  effort 
which  was  near  costing  me  so  dear,  I  had  sent  it  more  than 
three  feet  in,  which  fixed  it  immovable.  In  trying  to 
clamber  back  to  my  former  position  I  was  seized  with  a 
cramp  which  deprived  me  of  the  use  of  my  limbs.  Retain- 
ing my  self-possession,  I  lay  still  till  the  cramp  passed.  The 
moment  was  terrible,  but  in  two  minutes  more  I  had  the 
happiness  to  succeed  in  getting  my  knees  back  in  the  gutter. 
Lifting  the  ladder  as  soon  as  I  had  recovered  breath,  till  it 
was  parallel  with  the  window,  I  then  mounted  on  the  top 
of  the  window,  and  easily  got  the  whole  of  the  ladder  in,  my 
companion  catching  one  end  of  it,  and  then  throwing  in 
ropes,  clothes,  and  the  debris  of  the  window,  I  descended 
myself  into  the  garret. 

"  Arm  in  arm  we  inspected  the  dark  place  we  found  our- 
selves in.  It  was  about  thirty  paces  long  by  twenty  wide. 
^At  one  end  was  a  folding  door  barred  with  iron.  It  looked 
badly,  but  it  opened  at  a  touch.  In  the  next  enclosure  we 
knocked  up  against  a  large  table  surrounded  by  seats  and 
armchairs.  Opening  one  of  the  windows  we  saw  by  the 
starlight  only  precipices  between  the  cupolas.  Shutting  the 
window  we  returned  to  where  we  had  left  our  packages,  and 
as  I  was  utterly  exhausted,  body  and  mind,  I  put  one  of 
vthem  under  my  head  and  fell  fast  asleep.  Had  death  stared 
me  in  the  face  I  could  not  have  kept  awake,  and  well  I  re- 
member the  delightful  pleasure  of  that  sleep. 

"  I  slept  for  three  hours  and  a  half,  and  was  at  last 
wakened  by  the  shaking  and  cries  of  the  monk.  He  told 


CA3SANOVA   DE    SEINGALT.  2OQ 

me  five  o'clock  had  struck,  and  that  my  sleeping  was  in- 
conceivable. It  was,  however,  not  surprising.  For  two 
whole  days  excitement  had  prevented  me  from  eating  or 
sleeping;  and,  besides,  the  exertions  I  had  just  made  would 
have  exhausted  any  man.  This  sleep  completely  refreshed 
me,  and  there  was  now  sufficient  light  to  know  what  one 
was  doing. 

"  When  I  cast  my  eyes  about  I  cried  out,  '  This  is  not  a 
prison  ;  there  must  be  an  exit  easy  to  find.'  In  a  corner 
opposite  the  iron  door  I  spied  out  another  door;  running  my 
hand  over  it  I  found  the  key-hole.  Putting  in  my  crowbar  I 
opened  it,  and  we  found  ourselves  in  a  little  chamber,  where 
a  key  lay  on  the  table.  With  this  key  I  opened  another 
door  opposite,  sent  the  monk  back  for  our  clothes,  replaced 
the  key,  and  we  entered  a  gallery,  the  niches  of  which  were 
full  of  papers.  It  was  the  archives.  We  descended  a  stone 
staircase,  and  then  another,  and  at  the  bottom  found  a 
glass  door,  which  we  opened,  and  were  in  a  hall  I  knew — 
the  ducal  chancellery.  I  opened  a  window.  I  could  easily 
have  got  out,  but  I  should  have  found  myself  in  the  labyrinth 
of  little  streets  surrounding  the  church  of  St.  Mark.  God 
protect  me  from  such  folly  ! 

"  I  tried  the  lock  of  the  door ;  but  finding  it  impossible 
to  force  it,  I  decided  on  making  a  hole  in  one  of  the  panels. 
The  monk  aided  me,  trembling  at  the  noise  my  crowbar 
made  each  time  I  tried  to  drive  it  through  the  plank ; 
such  a  noise  was  sure  to  be  heard  at  a  distance.  I  felt 
the  danger,  but  it  was  necessary  to  brave  it. 

"  In  half  an  hour  the  hole  was  large  enough.  Had  it 
not  been,  I  could  not  have  enlarged  it  without  a  saw. 
The  sides  of  this  hole  bristled  with  points,  liable  to  tear  the 
clothes  and  lacerate  the  flesh.  It  was  five  feet  from  the 

p 


210  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

ground.  Placing  two  chairs  together  under  it  we  mounted 
on  them,  and  I  pushed  the  monk  through.  Then  I  handed 
him  our  bundles,  and  placing  another  chair  on  these  two,  I 
scrambled  through  the  hole,  the  monk  dragging  me,  tearing 
my  side  and  legs  till  the  blood  flowed  in  streams.  Going 
down  two  staircases,  I  opened  a  door  at  the  bottom  and 
entered  the  passage,  where  the  great  gate  of  the  royal  stair- 
case is  situate,  and  beside  the  door  of  the  cabinet  of  the 
Savio  alia  Scrittura.  The  great  gate  was  fastened,  and  I 
saw  at  a  glance  I  could  not  force  it. 

"  Calm,  resigned,  and  perfectly  tranquil,  I  seated  myself, 
telling  the  monk  to  do  the  same.  *  My  work  is  finished.' 
said  I ;  '  the  rest  is  now  in  the  hands  of  God  and  fortune.' 

"  '  Abbia  chi  regge  il  ciel  cura  del  resto, 
O  la  fortuna  se  non  tocca  a  lui.' 

'"I  don't  know  whether  the  palace  sweepers  will  come 
here  either  to-day,  All  Saints'  Day,  or  to-morrow,  All  Souis 
Day.  Should  any  one  come  I  shall  save  myself  as  soon  as 
the  door  is  opened,  and  do  you  follow  me.  But  if  no 
one  comes,  here  I  remain,  were  I  to  die  of  hunger.' 

"  At  this  the  poor  man  became  furious :  he  called  ma 
mad,  desperado,  a  seducer,  traitor,  liar.  Six  o'clock  struck. 
It  was  only  an  hour  since  I  awoke  in  the  garret. 

"  What  chiefly  occupied  my  thoughts  was,  how  to  get  a 
change  of  clothes.  Father  Balbi  was  dressed  as  a  peasant, 
and  his  clothes  were  intact ;  while  I  could  inspire  only 
horror  and  pity,  for  I  was  covered  with  blood,  and  my  dress 
was  in  rags.  Tearing  up  my  handkerchief,  I  staunched  my 
wounds.  I  gathered  my  hair  into  my  purse,  drew  on  white 
stockings,  a  lace  shirt,  and  put  on  my  fine  coat.  I  then 


CASSANOVA  DE  SEINGALT.  211 

resembled  a  man  who  had  been  at  a  ball  and  passed  the 
night  at  a  tavern  and  got  disordered  there. 

"Thus  decked  out,  my  fine  hat,  with  Spanish  lace  and 
black  plume  on  my  head,  I  opened  a  window.  Some  idlers 
in  the  court,  not  understanding  how  one  so  dressed  could 
be  in  such  a  place  so  early,  ran  to  inform  those  who  were  in 
charge.  The  doorkeeper  immediately  came  and  opened  the 
door,  supposing  he  had  locked  somebody  in  the  previous 
evening.  Hearing  him  coming,  I  told  the  monk  to  be 
silent,  and  placed  close  by  the  door. 

"  When  the  man  opened  it  he  was  stupefied  at  my  ap- 
pearance. Profiting  by  his  confusion  I  passed  out  without 
saying  a  word.  Without  appearing  to  fly,  I  took  the  mag- 
nificent staircase  called  the  '  Giants','  and  passed  on  without 
heeding  the  monk,  who  kept  calling  to  enter  the  church. 
He  knew  as  well  as  I  did  that  churches  were  no  longer 
sanctuaries  in  Venice,  but  in  his  terror  he  forgot  the  fact. 

"  I  made  my  way  at  once  for  the  frontier.  I  hastened 
straight  to  the  royal  gate  of  the  ducal  palace,  traversed  the 
piazetta,  and  stepped  with  the  monk,  who  had  followed  me, 
into  the  first  gondola  I  met,  telling  the  gondolier  I  wished 
to  go  to  Fusine,  and  to  call  another  rower. 

"When  we  had  passed  the  custom-house,  I  asked  the 
gondolier  if  we  could  reach  Mestre  before  eight. 

"  '  But,  sir,'  said  he,  '  you  told  me  to  go  to  Fusine.' 

"  I  told  him  he  was  mistaken.  The  other  gondolier  in- 
sisted he  was  not,  and  the  stupid  monk  joined  them.  I 
could  have  knocked  his  head  off.  But  I  laughed,  said  pro- 
bably I  was  wrong,  but  that  I  wished  to  go  to  Mestre,  and 
for  Mestre  we  started. 

"  Arrived  at  Mestre  I  hired  a  carriage.  I  mounted  ;  and 
as  we  were  starting  I  turned  to  make  a  remark  to  Father 


212  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

Balbi :  he  was  not  at  my  side.  I  sent  a  stable-boy  for  him, 
but  he  was  not  to  be  found.  I  looked  into  a  tavern,  and 
found  him  taking  a  cup  of  chocolate.  Repressing  my 
indignation,  I  got  him  out,  and  we  were  getting  into  the 
carriage  again,  when  a  man  came  up  who  knew  me,  and 
who  had  the  reputation  of  being  a  familiar  of  the  inquisition 
of  the  republic.  He  saluted  me,  said  he  was  happy  to  see 
me,  and  asked  how  I  had  escaped. 

" '  I  have  not  escaped,  sir ;  I  have  been  discharged.' 

ut  Impossible,  sir;  for  only  yesterday  I  was  at  Signor 
Grimani's,  and  I  should  have  heard  it  there.' 

"Descending  from  the  carriage,  I  asked  him  to  step 
aside  with  me  behind  the  house.  There  I  seized  him,  and 
raised  my  crowbar  to  strike ;  but  he  broke  from  me  and 
ran  away.  When  he  had  got  at  a  safe  distance  he  kissed 
hands,  in  token  that  he  wished  me  a  happy  voyage,  and  I 
thanked  God  I  had  not  taken  his  life. 

"  Arrived  at  Trevisa,  I  ordered  a  post  carriage  for  ten 
o'clock ;  but  I  had  no  intention  of  using  it,  for  I  had  not 
the  means  to  pay  for  it ;  and  I  feared,  hungry  as  I  was,  I 
did  not  even  dare  to  break  my  fast 

"  Passing  out  of  the  gate  of  the  city  I  took  to  the  fields, 
determined  not  to  get  on  the  road  again  while  in  the  terri- 
tories of  the  republic.  For  safety  sake,  to  avoid  any  am- 
buscades that  might  lie  in  wait  for  me  on  the  shortest  route, 
I  everywhere  took  the  longest  way.  After  three  hours' 
walking  I  threw  myself  on  the  ground  exhausted,  and  sent 
the  monk  to  a  neighbouring  farmer's  house  for  food,  and  a 
good  dinner  was  soon  sent  me  by  a  girl.  After  walking  for 
four  hours  more  we  sat  down,  and  I  told  the  monk  we  must 
separate  to  pass  the  frontiers,  but  that  we  should  meet 
again  at  Borgo  di  Val  Sugana,  and  I  directed  him  how  to 


I  told  him  I  was  going  to  bury  him. 


CASSANOVA  DE  SEINGALT.  2 13 

go,  making  him  a  present  of  my  cloak.  Giving  him  all  the 
money  that  remained  to  me,  I  appointed  finally  a  place  for 
meeting  in  two  days.  He  refused  to  leave  me,  reminding  me 
of  the  promise  I  had  made  when  inducing  him  to  help  my 
escape — that  I  would  never  separate  from  him.  I  rose  with 
much  effort,  took  his  measure,  and  began  to  dig  a  hole, 
without  answering  his  questions.  After  a  quarter  of  an 
hour's  work  I  told  him  to  prepare  his  soul,  for  I  was  going 
to  bury  him,  if  he  drove  me  to  it  by  his  obstinacy.  He  still 
refused  to  go ;  but  at  length,  either  from  fear  or  reflection, 
he  consented,  and  we  embraced  one  another.  When  he 
had  gone,  I  approached  a  shepherd,  asked  the  name  of  the 
village  and  the  owners  of  several  houses,  and  decided  to 
apply  for  a  night's  lodging  at  the  house  of  the  chief  of  the 
sbirri,  inquiring  from  a  child  playing  in  the  yard  where  her 
father  was." 

The  child  called  its  mother,  who  mistook  Cassanova  for 
Signer  Vitturi,  who  had  promised  to  become  godfather  to 
her  child.  She  told  him  her  husband  had  been  summoned 
to  search  for  two  prisoners  who  had  escaped  from  the  leads, 
and  that  she  did  not  expect  him  back  for  two  or  three  days. 
He  explained  that  he  had  received  his  hurts  in  a  fall  from 
his  horse,  and  the  mother  of  his  hostess  eagerly  dressed 
them.  He  was  served  an  excellent  supper,  and  after  twelve 
hours'  refreshing  sleep,  set  out  again  at  five  in  the  morning. 
After  five  hours'  travelling  he  heard  a  bell,  and  remembering 
it  was  All  Souls'  Day,  he  entered  the  church,  and  met  there 
one  he  had  thought  his  friend.  This  friend  was  very  eager 
to  hear  the  story  of  his  escape,  but  refused  him  any  assist- 
ance. At  an  isolated  farmhouse,  however,  he  was  well  en- 
tertained, and  again  at  a  Capuchin  convent.  At  the  house 
of  another  friend  he  was  refused  even  a  drink  of  water ;  but, 


214  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

crowbar  in  hand,  he  extorted  six  sequins.  He  passed  the 
night  at  a  farmhouse.  In  the  morning  he  bought  some  old 
clothes  and  an  ass,  and  on  its  back  he  passed  the  frontier, 
without  being  even  asked  his  name.  He  arrived  early  at 
Borgo,  where  he  found  the  monk,  who  told  him,  by  way  of 
welcome,  that  he  had  not  expected  him. 


LATUDE. 

1750-1784. 

MASERS  DE  LATUDE  was  born  in  1725,  at  the  castle  of 
Craiseih,  near  Montagnac,  in  Languedoc.  His  father,  the 
Marquis  de  Latude,  was  an  officer  in  high  rank,  and  the 
young  Latude  was  destined  for  the  military  profession. 
While,  however,  he  was  studying  at  Paris,  in  1749,  he  un- 
fortunately conceived  the  idea  of  having  recourse  to  sub- 
terfuge, in  order  to  attract  the  notice  of  Madame  de  Pom- 
padour, and  to  obtain  her  protection.  He  accordingly 
placed  a  small  cardboard  box  in  the  post  containing  a  harm- 
less powder,  and  addressed  to  the  marchioness,  and  then 
went  straight  to  Versailles  with  the  information  that  two 
individuals  wished  to  poison  the  royal  favourite,  and  that 
he  had  discovered  their  secret.  The  marchioness  at  first 
thanked  him  in  the  warmest  term- ;  but  he  had  scarcely  left  her 
presence  when  she  began  to  suspect  that  she  had  been  the 
victim  of  a  shameful  fraud.  She  obtained  a  few  lines  in  his 
own  handwriting  from  her  pretended  preserver ;  and  com- 
paring them  with  the  address  on  the  box,  had  her  suspicions 
confirmed.  Some  few  days  after  that,  Latude  found  himself 
in  the  Bastille. 


LATUDE.  215 

When  he  had  remained  there  four  months,  he  was  taken 
to  the  castle  of  Vincennes,  and  he  had  every  reason  to  fear 
that  his  imprisonment  was  to  last  for  life,  for  the  enraged 
woman  proved  inexorable  to  every  appeal  in  his  favour. 

"  I  kept  up  my  courage,"  he  says  in  his  "  Memoirs," 
"  with  the  hope  that  I  should  one  day  obtain  my  liberty, 
and  that  I  should  owe  it  to  my  own  exertions  alone,  not  to 
the  favour  of  my  gaolers.  I  was  constantly  forming  plans. 
Among  my  fellow-prisoners  I  noticed  an  aged  ecclesiastic, 
who  appeared  at  a  particular  time  every  day  in  the  garden 
of  the  chateau.  He  had  been  deprived  of  his  liberty  a  long 
while  on  account  of  Jansenism.  He  was  frequently  visited 
by  the  abbe  of  St.  Sauveur,  and  he  devoted  a  great  deal  of 
his  leisure  to  teaching  the  children  of  the  officers  to  read 
and  write.  He  was  allowed  to  go  almost  wherever  he 
pleased  when  in  the  company  of  his  little  pupils.  He  usually 
took  his  walk  at  about  the  time  when  I  was  led  into  a  small 
garden  adjoining  the  one  I  have  spoken  of — an  indulgence 
granted  me  through  the  kindness  of  M.  Berryer,  the  lieutenant 
of  police.  Two  turnkeys  used  to  accompany  me  on  my 
leaving  the  cell,  and  on  my  return ;  but  sometimes  the  elder 
of  the  two  would  wait  for  me  in  the  garden,  while  the 
younger  came  up  alone  to  let  me  out.  I  gradually  accus- 
tomed the  latter  to  see  me  run  down  the  stairs  in  advance 
of  him,  and  join  his  comrade  in  the  garden,  so  that  he 
always  moved  in  the  most  leisurely  manner  when  he  came 
to  fetch  me. 

"  On  a  certain  day  I  had  resolved,  at  any  price,  to  make 
an  effort  for  liberty.  As  soon,  therefore,  as  he  came  into 
my  cell  I  ran  downstairs  with  inconceivable  swiftness,  and 
hastily  bolting  the  door  on  the  outside,  left  him  a  prisoner 
within.  There  were  then  four  sentinels  to  deal  with.  The 


2l6  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

first  was  on  the  other  side  of  a  door  which  led  from  tl  e 
donjon,  and  which  was  always  closed.  I  knocked;  the 
door  was  opened.  'Where  is  the  abbe  of  St.  Sauveur?'  I 
asked,  hurriedly.  '  Our  priest  has  been  waiting  for  him  in 
the  garden  over  two  hours,  and  I  have  been  looking  for 
him  everywhere.'  I  ran  forward,  as  I  spoke,  till  I  came  to  a 
second  sentinel,  to  whom  I  put  the  same  question,  and  who 
allowed  me  to  pass  in  the  same  way ;  and  to  a  third,  posted 
on  the  other  side  of  the  drawbridge,  with  whom  I  was 
equally  fortunate.  The  fourth  sentinel  did  not  for  a  moment 
suspect  I  was  a  prisoner,  seeing  I  had  passed  the  others.  I 
crossed  the  threshold  of  the  outermost  gate ;  I  ran  forward 
and  was  lost  to  view  :  I  was  free. 

"  I  made  my  way  across  the  fields,  avoiding  the  high  road 
as  much  as  possible,  and  at  length  I  came  to  Paris,  where 
I  took  furnished  lodgings,  and  tasted  to  the  full  the  joys  of 
liberty,  with  an  appetite  sharpened  by  fourteen  months  of 
captivity." 

Having  had  the  imprudence  to  write  to  the  king  to 
excuse  his  fault,  and  to  urge  that  he  had  already  made  suffi- 
cient expiation  for  it,  Latude  was  again  arrested  and  taken 
to  the  Bastille,  where  he  was  confined  in  a  very  strong  cell. 
After  remaining  there  eighteen  months,  however,  he  was 
removed,  by  M.  Berryer's  orders,  to  a  tolerably  comfortable 
room,  which  he  occupied  jointly  with  a  young  man  of  his 
own  age,  named  Alegre,  whose  crime  was  also  that  of  having 
given  offence  to  Madame  de  Pompadour. 

"  Under  such  circumstances,  young  men  could  come  to 
but  one  resolution — to  escape,  or  perish  in  the  attempt.  But 
every  one  able  to  form  the  slightest  idea  of  the  Bastille  will 
conceive  that  this  project  had  in  it  a  touch  of  the  wildness 
of  delirium.  In  adopting  it,  however,  I  knew  what  I  was 


LATUDE.  2X7 

about,  and  I  hope  I  shall  be  credited  with  a  soul  a  little 
above  the  common  for  having  invented,  formed,  and  carried 
it  out. 

"It  was  now  no  longer  of  any  use  to  think  of  escaping 
from  the  Bastille  by  the  gates.  Every  physical  impossibility 
tended  to  render  that  idea  impracticable.  The  ground 
being  thus  denied  me,  there  was  but  one  other  way — to 
mount  into  the  air.  There  was  in  our  room  a  chimney 
running  to  the  top  of  the  tower ;  but,  like  every  other  in 
the  place,  it  was  so  fortified  with  bars  of  iron  as  scarcely  to 
leave  a  free  passage  to  the  smoke ;  and  any  one  making 
his  way  to  the  top  of  the  tower  would  find  himself  cut  oft 
from  all  communication  with  surrounding  buildings,  and 
with  a  ditch,  commanded  by  a  high  wall  some  two  hundred 
feet  beneath  him.  Yet  all  these  obstacles,  all  these  dangers, 
could  not  daunt  me.  I  communicated  my  ideas  to  my 
companion,  but  his  timorous  soul  at  first  shrunk  from  the 
possible  sufferings  they  involved.  He  chose  to  regard  me 
as  a  madman,  and  for  a  time  I  thought  and  worked  alone. 

"  There  were  many  things  to  provide  for,  and  to  do  :  to 
climb  to  the  top  of  the  chimney,  in  spite  of  the  iron  bars ; 
to  make  a  ladder  long  enough  to  reach  to  the  foot  of  the 
tower,  and  a  second  one  (of  wood)  for  mounting  the  ditch 
on  the  other  side.  In  order  to  do  all  this  I  should  have  to 
procure  tools  and  materials,  and  to  use  them  in  secret,  yet, 
as  it  were,  under  the  gaoler's  eyes. 

"  My  first  care  was  to  find  out  a  place  in  which  I  could 
hide  my  implements  and  the  other  things  as  soon  as  I 
should  obtain  them.  Through  thinking  earnestly  about 
it,  I  at  length  hit  on  a  happy  idea.  I  had  been  in  several 
rooms  in  the  Bastille,  and  I  had  always  been  able  to  ascer- 
tain whether  the  one  below  or  above  me  happened  to  be 


2l8  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

occupied,  by  the  noise  the  prisoner  made.  On  this  occasion 
I  heard  sounds  from  above,  but  none  from  below,  and  yet 
I  knew  that  some  one  was  in  the  room  beneath  me.  This 
led  me  to  believe  that  there  was  a  double  thickness  of 
boards  between  us  ;  and  I  took  the  following  means  to  test 
the  correctness  of  my  conclusion: — 

"  There  was  a  chapel  in  the  Bastille,  where  mass  was  said 
once  a  day  during  the  week,  and  three  times  on  Sunday. 
Permission  to  be  present  on  these  occasions  was  a  favour 
very  rarely  granted,  and  obtained  with  no  little  difficulty. 
Both  myself  and  my  companion,  however,  with  the  prisoner 
in  the  room  beneath  us,  were  allowed  to  attend  the  service. 

"I  resolved  to  seek  the  opportunity  of  our  leaving  the 
chapel  together,  to  obtain  a  hasty  glimpse  of  this  prisoner's 
room,  and  I  told  Alegre  how  he  could  help  me.  He  was 
to  let  his  knife  case  fall  down  stairs,  as  though  by  accident, 
in  drawing  out  his  pocket-handkerchief,  so  that  one  of  the 
turnkeys  would  be  obliged  to  run  back  to  pick  it  up.  All 
this  was  managed  to  perfection.  The  turnkey  went  down 
to  find  the  case ;  and  I,  in  the  meantime,  hurried  away  to 
our  fellow-prisoner's  room.  The  ceiling  was  a  very  low  one, 
and  measuring  it  and  the  height  of  the  entire  storey  with  my 
eye,  I  judged  that  there  was  an  unoccupied  space  of  about 
five  feet  between  the  two  chambers.  '  My  friend,'  said  I 
to  Alegre  on  my  return,  '  we  are  saved ;  we  have  hiding- 
place  enough  for  a  whole  workshop  full  of  things.'  '  But 
how  are  we  to  get  them  ? '  he  asked  impatiently.  '  Well,  as 
for  materials,  this  trunk  of  mine  will  supply  us  with  more 
rope  than  we  are  likely  to  want.'  'Trunk  !  rope  !  why,  the 
thing  does  not  contain  a  single  yard  of  rope  ! '  '  What ! 
have  I  not  a  quantity  of  linen— several  dozens  of  shirts, 
and  a  number  of  napkins,  stockings,  and  other  things  ?  We 


LATUDE.  219 

have  only  to  tear  them  up  into  strips  to  make  a  ladder  of 
any  length  we  please.' 

"  There  was  a  folding  table  in  our  room  with  a  good  deal 
of  iron  work  about  it;  and,  by  cutting  away  part  of  this  iron 
work  with  our  pocket  knives,  we  soon  obtained  a  kind  of 
rough  chisel  for  loosening  the  bars  of  the  chimney.  As 
soon  as  our  guards  had  left  us  for  the  night,  we  prized  up  a 
portion  of  the  flooring  with  this  implement,  and  we  then 
began  to  pick  a  hole  in  the  brickwork  beneath.  After  we  had 
worked  in  this  way  for  some  six  hours,  I  found  that  my 
hasty  calculation  had  not  deceived  me.  There  was  a  clear 
space  of  four  feet  between  our  floor  and  the  ceiling  below. 
This  was  work  enough  for  one  day;  so  we  carefully  swept 
all  the  rubbish  into  the  hole,  and  replaced  the  piece  of 
flooring  that  had  been  torn  up. 

"  Our  next  operation  was  to  unstitch  two  of  my  shirts — 
carefully  preserving  the  thread — and  by  cutting  them  in 
pieces,  and  tying  or  stitching  them  together,  we  made  a 
ladder  some  twenty  feet  long,  which  enabled  us  to  move 
from  place  to  place  in  the  chimney  while  we  were  removing 
the  bars.  This  part  of  the  undertaking  was  of  the  most 
painful  and  trying  character,  and  its  executron  cost  us  six 
months  of  an  agony  which  even  now  I  shudder  to  think  of. 
We  were  obliged  to  work  in  the  most  uncomfortable  and 
torturing  positions,  and  we  had  scarcely  struck  a  dozen 
strokes  before  our  hands  were  covered  with  blood.  The 
bars  were  fixed  in  an  extremely  hard  cement,  on  which  we 
could  make  no  impression  with  our  tools  till  we  had 
moistened  it  with  water,  and  the  water  had  to  be  carried  up 
in  our  mouths.  Our  progress  was  so  slow  that  we  were 
well  satisfied  when  we  removed  a  single  square  inch  of  the 
cement  in  the  course  of  a  night.  As  soon  as  we  had 


220  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

loosened  one  bar  we  left  it  in  its  place,  not  daring  to  remove 
it  until  the  very  last  moment,  for  fear  the  chimney  should  be 
examined  in  the  meantime. 

"  When  this  odious  labour  was  at  length  completed,  we 
set  to  work  upon  the  wooden  ladder,  by  means  of  which  we 
were  to  make  our  way  into  the  governor's  garden  that  lay 
beyond  the  ditch.  It  had  to  be  from  twenty  to  twenty- five 
feet  in  length ;  and  to  make  it,  we  set  aside  the  pieces  of 
wood  sent  up  as  firing,  using  part  of  an  old  chandelier, 
notched  with  our  pocket  knives  for  a  saw.  With  this  and 
another  rude  tool,  made  from  the  ironwork  of  the  table,  we 
cut  our  logs  of  wood  into  smaller  pieces,  which  we  fastened 
together  with  small  bits  of  metal  and  bolts  of  wood,  that 
served  as  hinges  and  screws.  Through  the  single  pole  thus 
made  we  placed  the  rounds  of  the  ladder,  which  projected 
some  six  inches  on  either  side.  The  whole  thing  could  be 
taken  to  pieces  easily,  and  therefore  we  had  no  difficulty  in 
hiding  it  beneath  the  flooring  of  our  room. 

"  Our  little  subterranean  workshop  (as  I  may  call  it)  was 
now  quite  nicely  furnished,  and  its  contents  were  known  to 
none  but  ourselves.  We  had  contrived  to  avoid  detection 
in  a  most  wonderful  manner,  but  there  was  one  danger 
which  still  gave  us  particular  uneasiness.  It  was  the  custom 
with  the  officers  of  the  Bastille,  not  only  to  make  irregular 
and  unexpected  visits  to  the  cells,  but  even  to  set  spies 
upon  the  prisoners'  most  secret  hours.  We  had  to  take  care 
therefore  to  do  all  our  work  by  night,  and  not  to  leave  the 
faintest  trace  of  it  behind  us.  But  guards  have  ears  as  well 
as  eyes.  We  were,  of  course,  talking  over  our  projects 
incessantly ;  and  since  we  could  not  avoid  the  necessity  for 
doing  this,  we  had  to  invent  a  language  intelligible  only  to 
ourselves.  This  was  easily  done  ;  the  saw  was  called  faun; 


LATUDE.  221 

a  hook,  Tubal  Cain;  the  hole  in  the  floor,  Polyphemus ;  the 
wooden  ladder,  Jacob  ;  and  the  rounds,  sprigs  ;  the  ropes, 
doves  (from  their  whiteness);  the  pocket  knife, puppy,  and  so 
forth.  We  were  constantly  on  our  guard,  however,  in  using 
even  this  gibberish,  and  we  succeeded  perfectly  in  keeping 
our  guards  in  the  dark. 

"  When  the  operations  already  spoken  of  were  completed, 
we  began  to  think  about  our  great  ladder.  We  calculated 
that  it  would  have  to  be  at  least  one  hundred  and  eighty 
feet  in  length  ;  and  to  find  material  for  it  we  had  to  sacri- 
fice shirts,  napkins,  stockings,  flannels — in  short,  nearly  the 
whole  of  our  underclothing.  As  soon  as  we  had  made  a 
hank,  or  twist,  out  of  the  shreds,  we  hid  it  away  in  '  Poly- 
phemus.' When  we  had  a  sufficient  number  of  these,  we 
spent  the  whole  night  in  binding  them  together;  and  I 
would  defy  any  ropemaker  to  produce  a  stouter  cable  (of  its 
size)  than  the  one  we  then  possessed. 

"  At  the  summit  of  all  the  towers  of  the  Bastille  a  ledge 
projected  some  four  or  five  feet  beyond  the  wall.  This 
we  knew  would  cause  any  one  using  our  ladder  to  swing 
about  in  the  air,  and  in  all  probability  to  lose  his  hold  from 
giddiness,  and  fall  to  the  ground.  We  were  obliged,  there 
fore,  to  invent  an  apparatus  for  steadying  the  ladder,  which 
was  far  too  complicated  to  describe  here.  Suffice  it  to  say, 
that  it  involved  the  use  of  another  rope,  some  three  hundred 
and  sixty  feet  long ;  and  this  we  actually  made,  together 
with  shorter  ropes  for  tying  our  ladder  to  a  cannon,  and  for 
other  necessities  of  the  moment. 

"When  all  these  ropes  were  ready  we  measured  them, 
and  found  they  were  fourteen  hundred  feet  in  length.  Our 
ladders,  all  taken  together,  had  two  hundred  and  eight 
rounds. 


222  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

"  There  was  one  other  danger  to  be  dreaded — the  noise 
likely  to  be  made  by  the  friction  of  our  ladders  against  the 
wall.  We  endeavoured  to  avoid  this  by  carefully  binding 
up  the  ladders  withxpieces  of  our  dressing-gowns,  etc.,  at  the 
places  where  they  were  likely  to  touch  the  stonework. 

"  We  had  been  employed  some  eighteen  months  in  these 
preparations,  and  yet  our  work  was  not  done.  We  had 
found  a  means  of  reaching  the  top  of  the  tower,  and  for 
dropping  into  the  ditch  ;  but  now  other  operations  would  be 
needed  to  enable  us  to  leave  the  place.  The  first  was  to 
mount  the  parapet  of  the  governor's  wall,  which  looks  into 
the  ditch  of  the  Porte  St.  Antoine.  But  this  parapet  was 
always  guarded  by  sentinels.  We  might  choose  a  very 
rainy  and  dark  night  for  our  attempt ;  but  then  it  might 
rain  while  we  were  leaving  the  chimney,  and  yet  be  per- 
fectly fine  by  the  time  we  reached  the  parapet  and  the 
sentinels.  And,  besides,  there  were  not  only  the  sentinels, 
but  the  guard  going  the  grand  rounds.  To  be  seen  by  the 
latter  was  to  be  hopelessly  lost. 

"  The  second  operation  promised  to  be  less  of  a  danger 
than  a  difficulty.  It  consisted  of  making  a  passage  through 
the  wall  separating  the  ditch  of  the  Bastille  from  the  Porte 
St.  Antoine.  It  would  necessitate  the  use  of  a  couple  of 
crowbars,  and  these  we  could  easily  obtain  from  our 
chimney. 

"We  fixed  on  Monday,  the  25th  of  February,  1756,  for 
our  flight.  The  river  had  overflowed  its  banks,  and  there 
was  water  to  the  depth  of  four  feet  in  the  ditches  of  the 
Bastille.  We  judged  it  prudent,  therefore,  to  pack  up  a 
change  of  clothes  in  a  portmanteau,  so  that  we  might  not 
run  the  risk  of  perishing  of  cold  if  we  happened  to  be 
fortunate  enough  to  escape  from  the  prison. 


LATUDE. 


223 


**  Immediately  after  our  dinner  hour,  on  the  appointed 
day,  we  took  our  rope-ladder  from  its  hiding-place  beneath 
the  floor,  and  having  seen  that  all  the  rounds  were  in  order, 
put  it  away  again  in  a  more  convenient  place  for  instant 
use.  At  the  same  time  we  tied  the  three  pieces  of  the 
wooden  ladder  together,  bound  our  crowbars  in  rags,  to 
prevent  the  metal  from  coming  in  contact  with  the  wall,  and 
furnished  ourselves  with  a  small  bottle  of  brandy  for  our 
sustenance  during  the  nine  hours  we  were  to  pass  up  to  our 
necks  in  water  in  the  ditch.  This  done,  we  waited  im- 
patiently for  the  hour  of  supper.  It  came  at  length,  and  our 
gaolers  left  us  for  the  night 

"  I  was  the  first  to  mount  the  chimney.  I  was  suffering 
from  rheumat'sm  in  the  left  arm,  but  I  paid  very  little  atten- 
tion to  that.  I  was  nearly  suffocated,  however,  with  the 
soot  accumulated  in  the  upper  part  of  the  chimney  beyond 
the  bars,  and  the  rough  brickwork  tore  open  my  elbows  and 
my  knees,  and  made  them  run  with  blood.  I  was  in  this 
state  when  I  reached  the  roof;  I  nevertheless,  without 
thinking  of  my  wounds,  dropped  a  rope  down  the  chimney, 
and  drew  up  the  portmanteau,  which  Alegre  had  fastened  to 
the  end  of  it.  In  the  same  manner  we  conveyed  the 
wooden  ladder,  the  crowbars,  and  the  other  packets  to  the 
top  of  the  roof.  Alegre  made  the  ascent  more  easily  than 
I,  thanks  to  my  having  lowered  the  rope  ladder  for  him. 
We  then  slid  down  from  the  top  of  the  chimney  on  the 
outside,  and  stood  both  together  on  the  roof  of  the  Bastille. 

"  We  lost  no  time  in  preparing  for  our  descent.  Doubling 
up  our  rope  ladder  till  it  formed  a  kind  of  ball,  we  rolled  it 
along  the  roof  till  we  came  to  the  Treasury  Tower,  where  we 
tied  one  end  of  it  to  a  cannon  and  let  the  other  fall  gently 
into  the  ditch.  I  then  fastened  the  single  rope  round  my 


224  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

body,  and  Alegre  holding  it,  to  steady  me,  I  stepped  on  to 
the  ladder.  But  I  swayed  about  dreadfully,  nevertheless, 
and  became  so  giddy  that  once  or  twice  I  felt  myself  on  the 
point  of  losing  consciousness,  and  gave  up  all  for  lost.  I 
reached  the  ditch,  however,  without  serious  accident ;  and 
when  Alegre  had  lowered  the  things  to  me,  I  was  lucky 
enough  to  find  a  little  eminence  to  place  them  on,  so  that 
they  did  not  get  wetted.  My  companion  then  made  the 
descent,  but  he  had  one  advantage  over  me — I  was  at  the 
bottom  to  hold  the  ladder  for  him,  so  that  he  did  not  suffer 
from  giddiness  nearly  so  much  as  I  had  done.  When  we 
had  both  reached  the  bottom  we  could  not  suppress  a  sigh 
of  regret  at  being  obliged  to  leave  behind  us  the  ladder  it 
had  cost  so  much  pains  to  make.* 

"  It  was  not  raining,  and  we  could  distinctly  hear  the 
footfall  of  a  sentinel,  at  the  distance  of  a  few  paces.  We 
were  obliged  therefore,  to  give  up  the  idea  of  reaching  the 
parapet,  and  to  turn  our  steps  towards  the  governor's 
garden.  We  accordingly  shouldered  our  crowbars,  and  went 
straight  to  the  wall  between  the  ditches,  where  we  began  to 
work.  But  unfortunately,  just  at  the  spot  we  were  obliged 
to  choose,  the  ditch  was  deepest,  so  that  we  were  up  to 
our  armpits  in  water,  instead  of  being  up  to  our  breasts. 
There  had  been  a  thaw  but  a  few  hours  previously,  and 
the  ditch  was  full  of  lumps  of  ice,  yet  we  had  to  endure  all 
this  for  more  than  nine  hours,  our  strength  exhausted  by 
labour  of  the  most  fatiguing  kind,  and  our  limbs  more  than 
half  frozen.  Hardly  had  we  began  to  work,  when  I  saw  on 


*  Latude  found  all  these  things  again  on  the  I5th  July,  1789 — the  day 
after  the  capture  of  the  Bastille.  They  were  in  the  Archives  with  a 
proccs-verbal,  dated  the  2yth  February,  1756,  and  signed  by  the  major 
of  the  Bastille  and  the  Commissary  Rochcbi  uue. 


I  saw  on  the  parapet  the  soldiers  of  the  grand  round. 


LATUDE.  225 

the  parapet,  some  twelve  feet  above  us,  the  soldiers  of  the 
^rand  round.  Their  lantern  lit  up  the  place  where  we  were 
perfectly,  and  there  was  no  way  of  avoiding  discovery  but 
to  plunge  down  into  the  water,  an  operation  which  had  to 
be  repeated  at  each  visit  of  the  grand  round — that  is  to  say, 
every  half-hour.  At  length  after  nine  hours  of  labour  and 
of  terror,  and  after  having  picked  stone  from  stone  with 
inconceivable  difficulty,  we  succeeded  in  making,  through 
a  wall  four  feet  and  a  half  in  thickness,  a  hole  large  enough 
to  admit  of  our  passing,  and  we  dragged  ourselves  through 
to  the  other  side.  Our  souls  were  already  full  of  joy,  when 
we  experienced  a  new  and  wholly  unforeseen  danger.  We 
were  now  crossing  the  ditch  of  St.  Antoine  in  order  to  gain 
the  road  to  Bercy.  We  had  hardly  advanced  twenty  steps 
in  the  water  when  we  fell  into  the  aqueduct,  which  is  in  the 
middle  of  the  ditch,  and  where  we  had  ten  feet  of  water 
above  our  heads  ;  and  beneath  our  feet  some  two  feet  of  a 
thick  purifying  substance  (for  the  most  part  salt)  on  which 
it  was  well-nigh  impossible  to  walk.  But  for  this  latter 
circumstance,  there  could  have  been  no  difficulty  in  gaining 
the  opposite  side,  for  the  aqueduct  was  only  six  feet  in 
breadth.  D'Alegre,  when  he  found  himself  out  of  his 
depth,  was  foolish  enough  to  clutch  me  convulsively.  But 
I  saw  this  must  infallibly  end  in  the  ruin  of  us  both,  since  if 
by  any  accident  we  should  fall  into  the  salt  mud,  we  should 
not  have  strength  enough  to  raise  ourselves  again.  I  there- 
fore dealt  D'Alegre  a  heavy  blow  with  my  fist,  and  having 
freed  myself  from  him,  I  succeeded  by  a  vigorous  push  in 
gaining  the  side  of  the  aqueduct,  and  thus  saving  us  both, 
for  nothing  was  easier  than  to  stretch  out  my  hand  and 
drag  him  ashore  from  my  vantage-ground.  It  struck  five 
when  we  emerged  from  the  ditch  :  the  sound  of  the  bell  had 

Q 


226  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

hardly  died  away,  when  we  stood  together  on  the  main  ro?A 
— free  men. 

"Transported  with  the  same  sentiment,  we  threw  ourselves 
into  one  another's  arms  in  a  close  embrace,  and  then  fell 
upon  our  knees  to  express  our  gratitude  to  God.  This 
first  duty  fulfilled,  we  began  to  think  about  a  change  of 
dress,  and  we  then  felt  by  what  a  happy  inspiration  of  pru- 
dence and  foresight,  we  had  been  prompted  to  furnish  our 
portmanteau  with  some  spare  clothes.  The  cold  had 
frozen  our  limbs,  and,  as  I  had  anticipated,  we  suffered  a 
good  deal  more  now  than  during  the  nine  hours  we  were  in 
the  water.  Each  of  us  had  far  too  little  control  over  hfe 
movements  to  be  able  to  undress  and  dress  himself,  but  by 
rendering  some  assistance  to  one  another,  we  contrived  at 
length  to  effect  these  operations.  We  then  jumped  into  a 
fiacre  and  drove  straight  to  the  house  of  M.  de  Silhouette, 
the  chancellor  of  the  Duke  of  Orleans,  but  unfortunately 
we  learned  that  he  had  gone  to  Versailles." 

They  however,  found  an  asylum  with  some  friends, 
natives  of  Languedoc,  like  themselves,  and,  after  hiding 
with  them  a  month,  left  separately  for  Brussels.  D'Alegre 
arriving  first,  was  immediately  arrested  by  the  agents  of  the 
French  government.  He  was  taken  back  to  France,  and 
fifteen  years  later  Latude  found  him  at  Charenton.  He  had 
become  mad.  As  for  Latude,  during  his  stay  in  Brussels,  he 
managed  to  avoid  the  snares  laid  for  him  by  the  French 
police,  but  he  was  finally  arrested  at  Amsterdam,  and  con- 
ducted back  to  France,  with  irons  on  his  ankles  and  wrists. 

In  1764  he  was  transferred  to  Vincennes,  and  subjected 
to  the  most  cruel  treatment  by  order  of  M.  de  Sartines. 
After  a  time  Guyonnet,  the  governor,  released  him  from  bi« 
coll,  and  gave  him  a  furnished  room  to  live  in,  at  the  same 


LATUDE.  227 

time  permitting  him  to  take  exercise  in  the  gardens  of  the 
chateau,  two  hours  every  day. 

"  What  I  valued  most  about  this  favour  was  that  it  pro- 
mised to  afford  me  sooner  or  later,  the  prospect  of  another 
escape.  For  eight  months  however,  so  carefully  was  1 
watched,  I  did  not  find  a  single  opportunity  of  putting  my 
project  into  execution,  and  I  began  to  feel  that  I  could  owe 
my  liberty  only  to  some  happy  chance.  Such  a  chance 
presented  itself  at  length  in  a  most  unexpected  manner. 

"  On  the  23rd  of  November,  1765,  I  was  walking  in  the 
garden  at  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  a  thick 
fog  suddenly  rose  from  the  ground.  The  idea  of  escape 
immediately  occurred  to  me ;  but  how  was  I  to  get  rid  of 
my  guards  ?  for,  to  say  nothing  of  the  many  sentinels  in  the 
passages,  I  had  two  at  my  side,  with  a  sergeant  who  never 
quitted  me  an  instant.  I  could  not  attack  them,  nor  could 
I  glide  quietly  from  their  side,  for  their  orders  were  to 
accompany  me  everywhere  and  to  follow  all  my  movements. 
I  therefore  addressed  myself  boldly  to  the  sergeant,  and 
called  his  attention  to  the  fog  which  had  come  upon  us  so 
suddenly. 

"  'What  do  you  think  of  this  weather?'  I  asked. 

u '  It  is  very  bad,  monsieur.' 

"'Do  you  think  so?'  I  replied  in  an  instant,  and  in  the 
calmest  and  most  natural  tone.  '  It  seems  to  me,  on  the 
contrary,  the  very  weather  to  favour  my  escape.' 

"While  uttering  these  words  I  raised  my  elbows  sud- 
denly and  thrust  the  soldiers  from  me,  and  at  the  same 
time,  giving  the  sergeant  a  violent  push,  I  took  to  flight, 
passing  a  third  sentinel,  who  did  not  seem  to  perceive  what 
I  was  doing  until  I  was  at  some  distance  from  him.  They 
all,  however,  rapidly  recovered  from  their  surprise,  and 

Q  2 


228  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

pursued  me  with  cries  of  '  Stop  him  !  stop  him !'  The 
guard  assembled  :  the  windows  began  to  open ;  everybody 
ran  into  the  courtyard,  and  'Stop  him!  stop  him!'  was 
heard  on  every  side.  How  to  escape  ?  I  did  not  remain  long 
at  a  loss.  There  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  dash  right  into 
the  midst  of  the  crowd  and  take  up  their  cry.  '  Stop  thief! 
stop  thief!'  I  bawled  louder  than  any  of  them,  pointing 
in  front  of  me  at  the  same  time.  They  took  the  bait 
admirably,  following  their  noses  in  search  of  nothing  at  all 
with  the  most  praiseworthy  energy  and  zeal.  I  outran  them 
easily ;  there  was  scarcely  a  step  between  me  and  liberty. 
I  had  reached  the  end  of  the  royal  court ;  there  was  but  one 
sentinel  to  pass,  but  to  pass  him  would  not  be  easy,  for, 
alarmed  by  the  uproar,  he  would  naturally  be  suspicious  of 
the  first  comer  in  the  crowd.  I  had,  in  fact,  foreseen  the 
exact  state  of  things.  At  the  first  cry,  the  sentinel  had 
placed  himself  in  the  middle  of  the  pathway,  which  was 
very  narrow  in  this  place ;  and,  to  add  to  the  ill  luck  of  the 
situation,  the  man  knew  me.  He  was  named  Chenu.  I 
came  up ;  he  stopped  the  way,  and  bade  me  stand  still,  or 
he  would  run  me  through  with  his  bayonet. 

"  '  Chenu,'  said  I,  '  you  know  me  ;  your  duty  is  to  arrest, 
not  to  kill  me.'  I  slackened  my  pace  and  drew  near  to  him 
slowly,  and  when  I  was  within  a  yard  or  two  I  suddenly 
threw  myself  upon  him,  and  snatched  his  gun  with  so  much 
and  such  unexpected  violence  that  he  fell  to  the  ground.  I 
leaped  over  his  body,  and  hurled  his  gun  as  far  from  him 
as  I  could,  for  fear  he  should  recover  it  and  fire.  And  now 
I  was  free  once  more.  I  easily  hid  myself  in  the  park,  for  I 
had  at  once  avoided  the  main  road ;  I  leaped  over  the  low 
wall,  and  I  awaited  the  night  to  enter  Paris." 

Having  taken  refuge  with  two  girls,  with  whom  he  had 


Stop  thief. 


BENIOWSKI.  229 

entered  into  correspondence  from  the  top  of  the  towers  of 
the  Bastille,  and  who  had  vainly  tried  to  serve  him  by 
delivering  letters  to  his  friends,  he  could  think  of  no  better 
means  of  providing  for  his  safety  than  that  of  writing  to 
implore  M.  de  Sartines  to  become  his  protector.  It  would 
seem  that  Latude's  active  and  acute  spirit,  which,  while 
he  was  a  captive,  enabled  him  so  well  to  calculate  his  op- 
portunities of  escape,  and  to  profit  by  them,  abandoned  him 
the  moment  he  was  at  liberty.  Not  content  with  having 
invited  the  attention  of  M.  de  Sartines,  he  could  conceive 
of  nothing  wiser,  fugitive  and  prison-breaker  as  he  was,  than 
to  go  to  Fontainebleau,  to  see  M.  de  Choiseul  and  M.  de  la 
Valliere,  both  ministers,  and  to  recommend  himself  to  them. 
He  was,  of  course,  re-arrested  and  taken  back  to  Vincennes, 
where  he  was  put  in  a  cell,  called  the  black  hole.  In  1775 
he  was  transferred  to  Charenton,  and  he  was  set  at  liberty 
in  1777  by  a  lettre  de  cachet,  ordering  his  exile  to  Montagnac, 
his  native  place.  He  delayed  his  departure  some  time,  but 
at  length  he  set  out,  only  to  be  arrested  once  more,  when 
he  was  some  fifty  leagues  from  Paris,  and  taken  to  the 
Bicetre.  He  was  then  fifty-three  years  of  age;  and  since 
his  twenty-fourth  year  he  had  passed  very  little  time  out  of 
prison.  At  length,  in  1784,  Madame  Necker  humanely 
exerted  her  influence  to  procure  his  total  release. 


BENIOWSKI. 
1771. 

COUNT  BENIOWSKI,  a  magnate  of  Hungary  and  of  Poland, 
was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Russians,  and  sent  to  Kamtschatka. 
On  the  very  day  after  his  arrival  in  the  little  city  of 


230  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

Bolska,  or  Bolcherietzkoi,  which  had  been  assigned  him  as  a 
residence,  he  had  persuaded  seven  of  his  companions  in 
exile,  to  join  with  him  in  an  attempt  to  escape.  At  first 
they  thought  only  of  procuring  a  boat  for  their  attempted 
flight,  but  they  afterwards  found  it  necessary  to  make  many 
material  alterations  in  their  plan.  Beniowski  was  only  thirty 
years  old ;  and  to  the  physical  advantages  of  force,  elegance, 
and  address,  he  united  that  of  a  good  education,  which  na- 
turally placed  him  in  the  first  rank  among  the  other  exiles, 
and  he  was  chosen  as  their  chief  without  one  dissentient 
voice.  The  governor  employed  him  as  a  teacher  of  languages 
to  his  three  daughters,  the  youngest  of  whom,  Aphanasia, 
fell  desperately  in  love  with  her  master.  Beniowski  dex- 
terously took  advantage  of  this  passion  to  further  his  scheme. 
The  confederates,  at  first  few  in  number,  obtained  addi- 
tions to  their  ranks  every  day ;  but  they  had  many  difficul- 
ties to  surmount.  Their  prime  need,  however,  was  money  ; 
and  in  this  respect,  chance  and  the  cupidity  of  their  guards 
came  very  opportunely  to  their  aid.  The  three  principal 
personages  of  Bolska  were  the  governor,  the  chancellor,  and 
the  hetman  of  Cossacks.  The  two  last  had  discovered 
Beniowski's  skill  at  chess,  and  they  thought  that  by  using 
him  as  a  kind  of  employe,  to  play  in  their  interest  with  the 
richest  merchants  of  the  district,  they  might  make  consider- 
able additions  to  their  mcome.  He  was  obliged,  for  the 
sake  of  his  companions  and  for  the  furtherance  of  his 
scheme,  to  lend  himself  to  this  discreditable  trick ;  but  he 
did  not  forget  his  own  wants  while  he  was  filling  the  pockets 
of  the  hetman  and  the  chancellor.  The  confederates  already 
possessed  some  twelve  thousand  roubles,  when  the  rage  of 
one  of  Beniowski's  victims  at  the  chess-board  nearly  led  to 
the  discovery  of  the  entire  plot 


BENIOWSKI  231 

A  merchant,  named  Casarinow,  who  lud  lest  considerable 
sums  at  the  game,  presented  his  conqueror  with  a  quantity 
of  poisoned  sugar.  On  the  ist  of  January,  1771,  the  prin- 
cipal confederates  assembled,  according  to  custom,  to  take 
tea ;  but  they  had  scarcely  swallowed  the  first  cup  when 
they  were  all  seized  with  frightful  pains.  One  of  them  died 
during  the  night ;  the  rest,  escaping  by  a  miracle,  tested  the 
sugar  on  various  animals,  and  when  they  had  satisfied  them- 
selves as  to  its  poisonous  properties  they  denounced  Casari- 
now to  the  governor.  The  merchant  was  at  once  sum- 
moned, and  when  he  came  before  the  governor  was  offered 
a  cup  of  unsweetened  tea.  He  took  it.  "  See,"  said  his 
host,  offering  him  some  of  the  poisoned  sugar,  "  what  good 
fellows  these  exiles  are  ;  they  have  given  me  all  this,  and 
only  yesterday  they  received  it  as  a  present  themselves." 

Casarinow  grew  pale,  complained  of  a  sudden  illness,  and 
asked  to  be  allowed  to  retire.  He  was  at  once  arrested, 
and,  yielding  to  the  evidence  of  facts,  confessed  his  crime, 
alleging,  as  an  excuse,  that  he  had  attempted  it  in  order  to 
punish  Beniowski  for  plotting  to  arm  the  exiles  and  to 
escape  with  them  from  Kamtschatka.  He  was  indebted  for 
the  information  to  Pianitsin,  one  of  the  confederates.  Too 
irritated  to  pay  due  attention  to  this  defence,  the  governor 
imprisoned  Casarinow,  and  ordered  the  chancellor  to  take 
immediate  steps  for  the  confiscation  of  his  property,  and  his 
despatch  to  the  mines,  according  to  law.  But  Beniowski  had 
been  present  during  the  interview,  though  he  was  hidden  in 
a  cabinet,  the  law  forbidding  not  only  the  functionaries,  but 
simple  citizens,  to  hold  any  communication  with  the  exiles. 
He  had,  therefore,  become  acquainted  with  the  guilt  of 
Pianitsin ;  and  on  his  return  to  the  confederates,  finding  the 
traitor  present,  he  denounced  him.  The  unfortunate  wretch 


232  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

was  at  once  condemned,  and  was  allowed  only  three  hours 
to  prepare  for  death.  A  priest  who  was  in  the  plot  prayed 
with  him  during  that  time,  and  he  was  then  taken  out  of 
the  village  and  shot. 

Some  time  after,  the  authorities  seemed  willing  to  test 
the  truth  of  Casarinow's  depositions  ;  but  they  looked  in 
vain  for  the  only  person  who  could  enlighten  them  on  the 
point — Pianitsin.  They  accordingly  suffered  the  matter  to 
rest,  convinced  that  the  whole  story  was  nothing  better  than 
a  fable,  invented  by  the  poisoner  to  serve  his  own  ends. 

We  cannot  give  in  detail  the  different  episodes  of  this 
history  of  four  months,  during  which  the  plot  was  several 
times  on  the  point  of  being  discovered.  The  confederates 
owed  their  safety  to  the  presence  of  mind  of  their  chief, 
and,  above  all,  to  the  folly  and  the  corruption  of  their 
guardians.  But  on  one  occasion  certain  suspicions  excited 
by  Beniowski's  conduct  had  nearly  ruined  all.  Some  days 
after  the  affair  of  Casarinow,  poor  Aphanasia,  in  presence  of 
her  father  and  of  a  crowd  of  persons  invited  to  a  fete, 
declared  her  passion  for  the  count.  Her  father  was  at  first  in 
a  great  rage  ;  but  this  did  not  last  long ;  and  eventually — it 
is  not  easy  to  say  through  whose  good  offices — he  was  induced 
to  show  Benio^ ski  more  kindness  than  ever.  He,  in  fact, 
threw  his  house  open  to  the  exile,  and  allowed  him  to  come 
and  go  as  he  pleased.  All  this  soon  got  rumoured  abroad, 
and  one  day,  on  entering  his  own  house,  Beniowski  found 
himself  confronted  by  four  of  the  principal  conspirators,  who 
summoned  him  to  the  general  assembly,  to  give  an  account 
of  his  suspicious  intimacy  with  the  authorities.  He  went  at 
once ;  and  on  entering  the  council-room,  found  that  it  was 
guarded  by  two  conspirators,  sabre  in  hand.  A  cup  of 
poison  stood  on  the  table.  Beniowski  was  accused  of  in- 


BENIOWSKI.  233 

triguing  for  his  liberty  by  the  betrayal  of  his  associates.  He 
easily  justified  himself,  and  his  accuser  was  the  first  to 
embrace  him  warmly,  and  to  desire  his  pardon  for  having 
suspected  him.  In  time,  thanks  to  Beniowski's  influence 
with  the  governor,  all  the  exiles  were  declared  free  as  to 
residence  within  the  country,  and  were  allowed  to  form  a 
colony  in  the  district  of  Lopattka.  He  was  thus  slowly 
advancing  towards  his  object,  when  the  governor's  wife, 
Madame  Nilow,  insisted  that  his  marriage  with  her  daughter 
should  take  place  at  once ;  while  one  of  the  conspirators, 
named  Stephanow,  becoming  enamoured  of  Aphanasia,  at- 
tempted to  kill  her  lover,  and  nearly  revealed  the  plot.  He 
was,  however,  terrified  into  silence,  and  then  pardoned. 

The  conspirators  were  at  last  perfectly  organized.  They 
had  arms  and  munitions,  and  they  only  awaited  the  breaking 
of  the  ice  to  embark  in  a  vessel  already  prepared  for  them, 
when  circumstances  again  rendered  the  authorities  sus- 
picious. Beniowski,  learning  from  various  signs  that  all 
might  be  compromised  in  a  moment,  engaged  Aphanasia,  to 
whom  he  had  confided  the  secret  of  the  plot,  to  send  him  a 
piece  of  red  riband  whenever  she  judged  that  danger  was 
imminent.  All  the  confederates,  meanwhile,  were  ready 
and  armed  ;  but  a  day  or  two  preceding  that  fixed  for  their 
departure,  Beniowski  received  a  piece  of  red  riband  from 
Aphanasia,  while,  at  the  same  time,  a  sergeant  brought  him 
a  note  from  the  governor,  asking  him  to  breakfast.  One 
may  easily  judge  whether  the  daughter's  present  inclined 
him  to  accept  the  father's  invitation.  He  pretended  to  be 
ill,  and  put  off  the  visit  till  the  next  day.  But  the  sergeant 
had  the  imprudence  to  tell  him  that  he  would  do  well  to 
come  by  fair  means,  unless  he  wished  to  be  dragged  to  the 
governor's  table  by  force. 


234  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

"You  had  better  confess  yourself,  friend,"  replied  the 
exile,  haughtily,  "  before  you  bring  me  another  message  like 
that." 

At  midday  the  hetman  arrived  at  Beniowski's  house,  and 
was  very  civilly  received ;  but  his  air  of  confidence  and  of 
good  nature,  unskilfully  assumed  as  it  was,  did  not  avail 
to  conceal  his  real  purpose  from  the  penetrating  glance  of 
the  exile.  On  Beniowski's  refusal  to  go  to  the  fort,  the 
poor  hetman  so  far  forgot  his  role  as  to  get  into  a  violent 
passion,  and  to  threaten  the  unwilling  guest  with  his  Cossacks. 
Beniowski  laughed  in  his  face,  and  the  hetman  called  two 
of  his  men.  Beniowski  whistled,  and  in  an  instant  five  of 
his  companions  appeared,  and  hetman  and  Cossacks  stood 
disarmed  and  bound. 

At  five  o'clock  in  the  evening  the  governor  sent  a  message, 
urging  Beniowski  to  throw  himself  on  the  clemency  of  the 
throne,  and  threatening  him  with  death  if  he  did  not  instantly 
set  the  captives  at  liberty.  The  count  gave  an  evasive  reply, 
in  order  to  gain  time,  and  meanwhile  seized  the  chancellor's 
nephew  and  two  other  persons,  whose  influence  he  feared. 
He  would  have  seized  the  chancellor  himself  had  he  come 
within  his  reach.  These  acts  marked  the  beginning  of  the 
insurrection. 

On  the  next  day  the  governor  despatched  four  men  and  a 
corporal  to  arrest  the  count,  who,  however,  managed  to 
arrest  them  instead,  and  to  shut  them  up  in  his  cellar.  These 
were  duly  followed  by  a  regular  detachment  of  troops,  who 
approached  the  house  with  as  much  circumspection  as  though 
it  had  been  a  fortress.  Beniowski  went  out  to  meet  them, 
and  killed  three  of  their  number ;  the  rest  ran  away.  Then 
came  another  detachment,  with  a  cannon.  The  officer  in 
command  allowed  Beniowski  to  approach  within  fifteen 


BENIOWSKI.  235 

paces,  as  though  willing  to  hold  a  parley ;  but  when  they 
had  got  so  near,  the  confederates  suddenly  opened  fire,  and 
those  of  the  soldiers  who  did  not  fall  down  in  terror,  ran 
away  outright,  so  that  the  cannon  became  the  property  of 
the  insurgents.  The  latter  then  re-formed  their  ranks  and 
marched  straight  upon  the  fort.  The  sentinel,  seeing  the 
cannon  in  their  hands,  mistook  them  for  the  detachment 
which  had  left  in  the  morning,  and  lowered  the  drawbridge. 
Beniowski,  as  soon  as  he  found  himself  inside  the  place,  ran 
to  the  governor's  room,  with  a  view  of  saving  him  from  the 
violence  of  the  confederates;  but -the  enraged  official,  in- 
censed at  finding  himself  outwitted,  snapped  a  pistol  in  his 
preserver's  face,  and  sprang  at  Beniowski's  throat  with  such 
violence  that  the  latter  was  about  to  defend  himself,  when 
one  of  the  confederates  spared  him  the  trouble  by  shooting 
the  unfortunate  governor  dead.  Towards  nightfall,  however, 
the  Cossacks  approached  the  fort,  and  prepared  to  assault 
it ;  but  their  ladders  were  too  short,  and  the  flashes  from 
their  muskets  serving  to  betray  their  position,  the  con- 
federates were  enabled  to  point  their  cannon  upon  them 
with  very  destructive  effect.  On  the  following  day  the 
exiles  shut  up  in  a  church  all  the  women  and  children  of 
'  the  city,  to  the  number  of  about  a  thousand,  and  sent  word 
to  the  eight  hundred  Cossacks  who  invested  the  place,  that 
if  they  did  not  at  once  surrender  their  arms  and  give  hostages 
for  their  peaceable  behaviour,  the  building  should  be  fired. 
The  Cossacks  accepted  the  conditions,  and  the  insurgents 
remained  masters  of  the  place,  the  former  having  seven  of 
their  number  seriously  wounded,  and  nine  killed. 

Some  days  after,  the  exiles  took  possession  of  the  war 
corvette,  Sf.  Peter  and  St.  Paul ;  and  after  they  had  ren- 
dered the  last  honours  of  war  to  the  poor  governor,  they 


236  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

occupied  themselves  in  fitting  out  the  vessel.  The  hostages 
were  then  sent  back  to  the  city,  with  the  exception  of  the 
chancellor's  secretary,  who  was  detained  on  board  to  serve 
as  cook,  as  a  punishment  for  his  malicious  intentions. 

At  length,  on  the  nth,  Beniowski  went  on  board,  raised 
the  flag  of  the  confederation  of  Poland,  which  was  saluted 
by  the  guns  of  the  corvette,  and  quitted  Kamtschatka — not 
as  a  prisoner  escaping,  but  like  a  sovereign  leaving  one  of 
the  ports  of  his  empire. 


ESCAPE  OF  TWELVE  PRIESTS,  SAVED  BY 
GEOFFROY  ST.  HI  LA  I  RE. 

1792. 

ON  the  i3th  of  August,  1792,  Haiiy,  Lhomond,  and  the 
other  professors  at  the  college  of  Cardinal  Lemoine,  were 
arrested  as  non-jurors,  and  were  shut  up  in  the  seminary  of  St. 
Firmin,  temporarily  converted  into  a  prison.  Near  St.  Firmin 
lived  a  young  student,  Geoffroy  St.  Hilaire,  who  was  des- 
tined soon  to  become  one  of  the  stars  of  France.  He  had 
pursued  his  studies  at  the  college  of  Lemoine ;  and  not  less 
devoted  to  his  professors  than  passionately  fond  of  science, 
without  giving  a  thought  to  the  danger  to  which  he  exposed 
himself,  he  resolved  on  saving  Haiiy  and  his  companions. 

By  great  perseverance  he  persuaded  the  members  of  the 
Academy  of  Sciences  to  appeal  in  favour  of  Haiiy;  and 
an  order  of  liberation  was  granted.  Geoffrey  brought  it  in 
great  haste ;  and  a  few  days  after,  Haiiy  obtained  from 
Tallien  the  same  liberty  for  Lhomond  that  Geoffroy  and  the 
Academy  had  obtained  for  himself.  But  several  of  Haiiy's 
colleagues  were  still  in  prison.  It  was  the  day  before  the 


ESCAPE   OF   TWELVE    PRIESTS.  237 

September  massacres ;  and  though  nothing  of  these  wild 
projects  was  officially  known  to  the  public,  after  the  Bruns- 
wick manifesto  something  terrible  was  expected.  Geoffrey, 
at  any  price,  was  resolved  on  saving  his  masters  from  the 
danger  threatening  them.  On  the  2nd  of  September,  at  the 
moment  when  the  massacres  had  already  begun  at  the 
Abbaye  and  La  Force,  he  disguised  himself  as  a  com- 
missary of  the  prisons,  obtained  access  by  this  means  to  the 
prisoners,  and  informed  them  of  the  means  he  had  prepared 
to  facilitate  their  escape. 

"  No,"  answered  -one  of  them,  the  Abbe  D'  Keranran  ; 
"  no,  we  will  not  leave  our  brethren  ;  our  flight  would  make 
their  deaths  more  certain." 

This  sublime  refusal  grieved  Geoffrey,  without  discouraging 
him.  At  night  he  took  a  ladder  and  went  to  St.  Firmin,  standing 
by  an  angle  of  the  wall  that  he  had  taken  care  to  indicate  to 
the  Abbe  D'Keranran  and  his  companion  that  same  morn- 
ing. He  remained  there  for  more  than  eight  hours  without 
seeing  a  soul.  At  last  a  priest  appeared,  and  was  soon  safely 
out  of  the  fatal  place.  Several  others  followed.  One  of  them, 
oa  climbing  the  wall  too  hastily,  fell  and  hurt  his  foot. 
Geoffrey  took  him  in  his  arms,  and  carried  him  to  a  barn 
near  by.  He  then  ran  back  to  his  post,  and  by  his  help 
more  priests  escaped.  Twelve  victims  had  thus  been 
snatched  from  death,  when  a  shot  was  fired  on  Geoffrey 
from  the  garden,  and  touched  his  clothes.  He  was  then  on 
the  top  of  the  wall ;  and,  entirely  absorbed  in  his  generous 
task,  he  did  not  perceive  that  the  sun  was  up.  He  was 
obliged  to  come  down,  and  leave  both  the  happy  and  the 
miserable  at  once,  for  those  that  he  had  been  unable  to  save 
he  was  never  to  see  again. — (Life  of  Gcoffroy  St.  Hilaire, 
by  Isidore  Geoffrey.) 


238  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

DE  CHATEAUBRUN. 
1794. 

M.  DE  VAUBLANC,  in  his  "  Memoirs,"  relates  the  following 
circumstance : — 

"A  nobleman,  named  M.  de  Chateaubrun,  having  been 
condemned  to  death  by  the  revolutionary  tribunal,  had  been 
placed  on  the  fatal  tumbril  and  taken  to  the  Place  de  la 
Revolution,  to  be  put  to  death.  After  the  '  Terror '  he  was 
met  by  a  friend,  who  gave  a  cry  of  surprise ;  and,  scarcely 
able  to  believe  the  evidence  of  his  senses,  asked  De  Chateau- 
brun, to  explain  the  mystery  of  his  appearance.  The  ex 
planation  was  given,  and  I  heard  it  from  his  friend. 

"  He  was  taken  away  with  twenty  other  unhappy  victims. 
*  After  twelve  or  fifteen  executions,'  he  said,  '  one  part  of 
the  horrible  instrument  broke,  and  a  workman  was  sent  for 
to  mend  it.  M.  de  Chateaubrun  was,  with  the  other  victims, 
near  the  scaffold,  with  his  hands  tied  behind  his  back.  The 
repairing  took  a  long  time.  The  day  began  to  darken  ;  the 
great  crowd  of  spectators  were  far  more  intent  on  watching 
the  repairing  of  the  guillotine  than  on  looking  at  the  victims 
who  were  to  die ;  and  all,  even  the  gendarmes  themselves, 
had  their  eyes  fixed  on  the  scaffold.  Resigned,  but  very 
weak,  the  condemned  man  leant,  without  meaning  it,  on 
those  behind  him ;  and  they,  pressed  by  the  weight  of  his 
body,  mechanically  made  way  for  him,  till  gradually,  and  by 
no  effort  of  his  own,  he  came  to  the  last  ranks  of  the  crowd. 
The  instrument  once  repaired,  the  executions  began  again, 
and  they  hurried  to  the  end.  A  dark  night  concealed  both 
executioners  and  spectators.  Led  on  by  the  crowd,  De 
Chateaubrun  was  at  first  amazed  at  his  situation,  but  soon 
conceived  the  hope  of  escaping.  He  went  to  the  Champs 


The  woodman  pulled  out  a  knife  and  did  so. 


SYDNEY   SMITH.  239 

Elyse'es,  and  there,  addressing  a  man  who  looked  like  a 
workman,  he  told  him,  laughingly,  that  some  comrades' with 
whom  he  had  been  joking  had  tied  his  hands  behind  his 
back,  and  taken  his  hat,  telling  him  to  go  and  look  for  it. 
He  begged  the  man  to  cut  the  cords,  and  the  workman 
pulled  out  a  knife  and  did  so,  laughing  all  the  while  at  the 
joke.  M.  de  Chateaubrun  then  proposed  going  into  one  of 
the  small  wineshops  in  the  Champs  Elysees.  During  a 
slight  repast  he  seemed  to  be  expecting  his  comrades  to 
bring  back  his  hat ;  and  seeing  nothing  of  them,  he  begged 
his  guest  to  carry  a  note  to  some  friend,  whom  he  knew 
would  lend  him  one,  for  he  could  not  go  bareheaded  through 
the  streets.  He  added  that  his  friend  would  bring  him  some 
money,  for  his  comrades,  in  fun,  had  taken  away  his  purse. 
The  poor  man  believed  every  word  M.  de  Chateaubrun  told 
him,  took  the  note,  and  returned  in  half  an  hour,  accom- 
panied by  the  friend,  who  embraced  Chateaubrun,  and  gave 
him  all  the  help  he  required.' " — (Memoirs  of  M.  de  Vau- 
blanc.) 

SYDNEY  SMITH. 
1797. 

COMMODORE  WILLIAM  SYDNEY  SMITH,  afterwards  admiral, 
had  been  made  prisoner  at  the  mouth  of  the  Seine,  where 
he  had  ventured  in  his  frigate,  then  stationed  at  Havre. 
This  enterprise  seemed  so  daring  that  the  English  sailor  was 
suspected  of  having  wished  to  favour  a  royalist  attempt,  and 
of  being  a  dangerous  spy.  The  suspicions  as  to  the  nature 
of  his  mission  seemed  confirmed  by  the  fact  that  his  secretary 
was  an  exile,  named  De  Trommelin,  who  had  been  with 
him  a  long  time,  in  the  hopes  of  being  in  some  way  useful 


240  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

to  the  royal  cause.  If  the  nationality  of  this  man  had  been 
recognised,  he  would  have  been  instantly  put  to  death, 
according  to  the  law  then  existing  in  France ;  but  the 
commodore  passed  him  as  his  servant.  In  vain  England 
begged  the  exchange  of  Sydney  Smith  ;  the  Directory  re- 
fused, knowing  how  dangerous  an  enemy  to  France  he  was- 
Imprisoned  at  the  Abbaye,  then  at  the  Temple,  he  was 
more  than  once  on  the  point  of  escaping,  in  spite  of  the 
vigilance  of  the  police.  Several  ladies,  as  well  as  Tromme- 
lin,  attempted  to  aid  him  at  various  periods.  Trommelin's 
wife — who  could,  at  least,  invoke  duty  as  the  motive  of 
her  conduct — came  to  Paris,  and  hired  a  house  near  the 
Temple.  A  mason  was  bribed  to  open  a  communication 
between  this  house  and  the  Temple,  by  way  of  the  cellar, 
and  everything  seemed  sure  of  success,  when  the  fall 
of  a  few  stones  gave  the  alarm.  The  prisoners  were  more 
strictly  watched  than  ever.  In  a  short  time  Trommelin, 
having  a  better  fate  than  a  man  deserves  who  carries  arms 
against  his  country,  was  exchanged  ;  but  Sydney  Smith  was 
obliged  to  forego  that  advantage.  After  the  i8th  Fructidor, 
he  was  still  more  rigorously  treated  ;  but  the  moment  of  his 
freedom  was  drawing  nigh. 

Among  the  royalists  then  hidden  and  conspiring  in  Paris, 
was  an  officer  named  Philippeaux,  formerly  the  fortunate 
rival  of  Bonaparte  at  the  military  school,  and,  since  that  time, 
his  sworn  enemy.  Certainly  without  any  idea  that  Sydney 
Smith  and  himself  would,  two  years  afterwards,  be  together 
in  the  presence  of  General  Bonaparte  at  St.  Jean  d'Acre, 
and  without  any  other  motive  than  that  of  injuring  the 
republic,  Philippeaux  determined  to  deliver  the  commodore. 
He  associated  himself  with  other  royalists,  and  notably  with 
an  opera  dancer,  named  Boisgirard ;  and  he  entered  into 


He  affected  great  surprise. 


PICHEGRU,    RAMEL,    BARTHELEMY,    DELARUE,    ETC.     2^1 

relations  with  the  daughter  of  one  of  the  Temple  gaolers, 
by  whose  aid  he  succeeded  in  deceiving  her  father.  Dis- 
guised as  a  prison  commissary,  and  accompanied  by  his 
accomplices,  wearing  the  uniform  of  gendarmes — one  of 
whom,  Boisgirard,  represented  a  general — Philippeaux  went 
at  night  to  the  Temple.  Boisgirard,  at  the  gate,  showed  an 
order  of  release,  signed  by  the  minister  of  foreign  affairs, 
and  demanded  that  the  prisoner  might  be  given  up.  Either 
bribed,  or  deceived  by  appearances,  the  gaolers  and  director 
of  the  prison  obeyed,  and  Sydney  Smith  was  brought  out. 
Playing  his  part  perfectly,  he  affected  great  surprise ;  and 
on  hearing  his  immediate  transfer  to  another  prison  spoken 
of,  he  vehemently  protested  against  it  Then,  feigning 
obedience,  he  followed  his  liberators,  and  entered  a  carriage 
that  conveyed  him  to  Rouen,  from  whence  he  crossed  to 
Havre.  There  he  succeeded  in  getting  on  board  an  Eng- 
lish ship,  the  Argo,  which  took  him  to  London.  The 
English  captain,  Brenton,  certifies,  in  his  "  History  of  the 
Navy,"  that  he  knows,  from  good  authority,  that  ^3000 
sterling  (75,000  francs),  given  by  the  English  government, 
opened  the  doors  of  Sydney  Smith's  prison,  and  smoothed 
all  obstacles  as  far  as  the  coast.  He  adds  that  Lord  St. 
Vincent  (Jervis)  assured  him  he  had  seen  the  order  from  the 
Treasury. 

PICHEGRU,  RAMEL,  BARTHELEMY, 
DEL  A  RUE,  ETC. 

1797. 

A  SHORT  time  after  the  i8th  Fructidor,  a  certain  number  of 
those  who  had  taken  part  in  the  counter-revolutionary  riots 
were  transported  to  Guiana.  They  all  belonged,  more  or 


243  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

less,  to  the  royalist  party.  Among  them  were — Pichegru, 
one  of  the  greatest  soldiers  and  one  of  the  worst  citizens 
France  ever  produced  ;  Barthe'lemy,  a  member  of  the 
Directory;  Ram  el,  adjutant-general,  commander  of  the 
grenadiers  of  the  Corps  Ldgislatif ;  Delarue,  a  member  of 
the  council  of  the  Five  Hundred  ;  and  generals  Aubry  and 
Willot,  who  had  been  among  the  first  arrested.  To  the 
names  of  these  party-men  it  is  but  right  to  add  that  of 
Letellier,  Barthelemy's  servant,  who  having  begged,  as  a 
favour,  that  he  might  be  allowed  to  follow  his  master  to 
prison,  accompanied  him  in  his  exile,  and  died,  at  last,  the 
victim  of  his  devotion.  At  Cayenne,  and  then  at  Sinna- 
mary,  the  deputies  saw,  with  sorrow,  several  of  their  com- 
panions struck  down  by  the  influence  of  the  climate ;  and, 
to  fly  from  a  similar  fate,  they  resolved  on  escaping  and 
making  their  way  to  Dutch  Guiana.  Of  this  adventure  we 
have  two  very  different  versions — one  by  Ramel,  who,  on 
his  return  to  London,  published  the  journal  of  his  escape ; 
and  the  other  by  Delarue,  who,  long  after,  under  the 
restoration,  wrote  a  "  History  of  the  iSth  Fructidor,"  where 
this  escape  is  related.  Seen  from  our  point  of  view,  Ramel's 
journal  is,  in  all  probability,  nothing  more  than  a  romance  ; 
while  the  narrative  of  Delarue,  far  simpler,  seems  to  be  the 
expression  of  truth.  We  give  both,  beginning  with  the  first: — 
"We  were  accustomed  to  walk,"  says  Ramel,  "on  the 
ramparts  along  the  river.  We  often  contemplated,  with 
deep  sighs,  the  western  coast,  but  saw  nothing,  either  on 
land  or  water,  that  could  give  us  the  faintest  hope  of  escape. 
At  the  foot  of  the  bastion,  outside  the  fort  and  on  the  edge 
of  the  river,  there  was  a  small  boat,  used  for  conveying  the 
guard  to  and  fro.  This  little  boat,  with  its  moorings,  was 
consigned  to  the  care  of  the  sentinel  placed  near  the  battle- 


PICHEGRU,    RAMEL,    BARTHELEMY,    DELARUE,    ETC.     243 

ments  of  the  fort,  in  which  the  guards  were  stationed.  We 
had  often  looked  with  longing  eyes  at  this  boat ;  but  it  was 
only  by  degrees,  and  when  impelled  by  despair,  that  we 
became  accustomed  to  the  idea  of  venturing  out  to  sea  in  so 
fndl  a  skiff.  None  of  us  knew  how  to  manage  a  boat ;  we 
had  no  compass,  and  should  have  been  obliged  to  trust 
ourselves  to  some  Indian  or  sailor." 

The  first  attempt  proved  fruitless.  Pichegru  having  tried 
to  win  over  an  Indian,  who  sold  vegetables  to  the  fort, 
this  latter  spread  abroad  suspicions  which  the  general's 
half  offer  had  created  in  his  mind.  But  this  check  was 
only  a  temporary  one.  A  person  at  that  time  in  the  fort, 
whom  Ramel  does  not  otherwise  specify,  gave  them  much 
information  as  to  the  road  they  should  take,  and  as  to 
the  proper  means  of  insuring  their  flight.  They  procured 
passports  under  supposed  names,  and  ripened  their  plans, 
without  divulging  them  to  those  of  their  companions  who 
were  not  in  the  plot,  and  several  of  whom  inspired  them 
with  a  not  unfounded  mistrust. 

A  pirate  captain,  named  Poisvert,  having  captured  an 
American  ship,  commanded  by  a  certain  Tilly,  the  owner  of 
the  cargo,  brought  his  capture  to  Sinnamary,  and  lodged 
the  crew  and  their  captain  in  the  fort.  The  American 
captain  soon  found  out  Pichegru,  Ramel,  and  their  com- 
panions, with  whom  he  was  well  acquainted,  and  gave  them 
news  of  their  families  and  friends.  They  informed  him  of 
their  plans,  and  showed  him  the  boat.  After  trying  to  con- 
vince them  of  the  impossibility  of  putting  out  to  sea,  and 
attempting  a  journey  of  several  days  in  such  a  vessel ; 
and  seeing,  at  last,  that  they  were  fully  determined  to  perish 
rather  than  remain  at  Sinnamary,  the  brave  Tilly  resolved 
on  joining  his  fate  to  theirs.  "  I  give  up  all,"  he  said,  "  to 

R  2 


244  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

save  you.  I  will  take  my  pilot,  Barrick,  with  me,  and  we 
will  set  out  together." 

Everything  was  settled,  when  they  learnt  that  Tilly  was 
to  be  immediately  transferred  to  Cayenne.  He  went  away, 
leaving  them  Barrick  in  his  place,  who  soon  disappeared, 
and  remained  hidden  in  the  wood  near  by  for  thirty-six 
hours,  perched  on  a  tree,  to  escape  from  the  serpents.  "  It 
had  been  agreed  that  the  following  day,  the  3rd  of  June,  at 
nine  in  the  evening,  he  should  go  down  to  the  edge  of  the 
river  near  the  fort,  and  should  jump  into  the  boat  on  seeing 
us  appear." 

Everything  seemed  in  favour  of  the  fugitives.  Captain 
Poisvert  gave  a  dinner  on  board  the  American  capture  to 
the  commander  of  the  place;  and  the  wine  soon  began 
to  flow  freely  both  on  the  ship  and  in  the  fort — soldiers, 
officers,  convicts,  even,  were  at  the  feast  All  were  soon 
drunk,  except  the  eight  conspirators,  who  simply  feigned 
intoxication,  and  quarrelled,  to  ward  off  suspicion. 

"  Night  came  on.  We  saw  the  commander  taken  home 
quite  insensible,  and  carried  as  if  he  were  dead.  Silence  had 
succeeded  to  songs  and  drunken  shouts  ;  soldiers  and  slaves 
were  lying  here  and  there ;  the  service  was  forgotten ;  the 
guard-house  left  empty. 

"  The  final  hour  of  our  stay  at  Sinnamary  rang  at  last. 
At  nine  o'clock  Dessonville,  who  was  watching,  warned 
each  of  us.  We  went  out  and  met  at  the  gate  of  the  fort, 
the  bridge  of  which  was  not  yet  taken  up.  Everything  was 
profoundly  quiet.  I  went  with  Pichegru  and  Aubry  to 
the  top  of  the  guard-house,  and  walked  straight  to  the 
sentinel.  He  was  a  wretched  drummer,  who  had  worried 
us  to  his  utmost.  I  asked  him  what  time  it  was  ;  he  raised 
his  eyes  to  the  stars ;  I  sprang  at  his  throat ;  Pichegru  dis- 


PICHEGRU,    RAMEL,    BARTHELEMY,    DELARUE,    ETC.     2^5 

armed  him  ;  and  we  dragged  him  away,  tightening  our  hold 
to  prevent  his  crying  out.  We  were  on  the  parapet ;  the 
man  struggled  violently,  slipped  from  us,  and  fell  into  the 
river.  We  joined  our  companions  at  the  foot  of  the  rampart, 
and  seeing  no  one  in  the  guard-house,  we  ran  in  and  took 
out  arms  and  cartridges,  left  the  fort,  and  flew  into  the  boat. 
Barrick  was  there,  and  carried  us  into  the  skiff.  Barthelemy, 
an  infirm  man,  and  not  so  active  as  we  were,  fell  and  stuck 
in  the  mud.  Barrick,  with  his  strong  arm,  caught  him, 
pulled  him  out,  and  placed  him  in  the  boat  The  cable 
was  cut ;  Barrick  took  the  helm  ;  motionless  and  silent  we 
drifted  with  the  current.  The  tide  and  the  current  together 
impelled  our  frail  vessel.  We  listened,  but  could  hear 
nothing  but  the  murmur  of  the  waters,  and  the  land  breeze, 
which  soon  swelled  our  little  sail.  We  were  then  unable  to 
distinguish  the  tower  of  Sinnamary.  On  approaching  the 
watch  on  the  point  we  took  down  the  sail,  so  as  to  make 
ourselves  less  visible.  We  knew  that  the  eight  men  on 
guard  there  had  received  their  full  share  of  the  captain's 
bounty,  and  that,  consequently,  they  must  be  as  drunk  as 
their  comrades.  We  were  not  hailed ;  the  tide  carried  us 
across  the  bar.  We  left  on  our  right  our  brave  friend  Tilly's 
ship,  and  passed  close  to  The  Victoire,  just  come  from 
Cayenne,  and  commanded  by  Captain  Brochet,  who  was 
much  pleased  at  our  escape,  and  who  certainly  would  not 
have  opposed  it. 

"  The  breeze  freshened,  the  sea  was  calm  ;  but  in  going 
out  far  we  ran  the  risk  of  losing  ourselves  ;  while,  hugging  the 
coast  too  closely,  we  were  in  danger  of  wrecking  the  ship  on 
the  rocks,  which  extend  as  far  as  Iracouba.  The  moon  shone 
out  suddenly,  as  if  to  light  up  our  path.  The  moment  was 
delicious ;  we  congratulated  ourselves ;  we  thanked  Pro- 


246  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

vidence  and  our  generous  pilot,  Barrick,  who  was  in  a 
dreadful  state  from  the  mosquito  bites.  We  sailed  safely  on 
for  about  two  hours,  when  we  heard  three  cannon-shots — 
two  from  the  Sinnamary  fort,  and  one  from  the  Point.  Soon 
after  the  watch  at  Iracouba  repeated  the  three  reports.  We 
could  no  longer  doubt  of  our  escape  being  discovered.  We 
did  not  now  fear  direct  pursuit  from  Sinnamary,  where  there 
was  not  a  single  boat  they  could  arm ;  besides,  we  had  a 
good  start.  The  only  thing  we  dreaded  was  the  detachment 
from  Iracouba,  composed,  as  we  knew,  of  twelve  men. 
They  could  only  have  met  us  in  a  boat  similar  to  ours,  with 
eight  or  ten  men.  We  kept  sailing  on  near  the  coast,  all 
the  while  preparing  our  arms,  and  fully  determined  on  de- 
fending ourselves  if  they  attacked,  or  attempted  to  bar  the 
passage  under  the  fort  of  Iracouba. 

"  At  four  in  the  morning  two  cannon-shots  were  heard 
towards  the  east,  and  were  immediately  responded  to  by  a 
report  close  to  our  ears.  We  were  in  front  of  the  fort.  It 
was  still  dark ;  but  at  daybreak  we  found  ourselves  to  wind- 
ward of  Iracouba,  We  had  nothing  more  to  fear  from 
pursuit ;  the  dangers  of  the  sea  were  all  we  had  to  over- 
come." 

In  such  a  vessel,  which  was  so  small,  and  so  light  that 
the  waves  filled  it  at  every  moment,  and  had  to  be  baled 
incessantly  with  a  gourd,  the  fugitives  were  in  imminent 
danger  of  perishing.  A  movement  of  Ramel's,  who  wished 
to  catch  his  hat,  which  fell  in  the  water,  almost  upset  the 
boat ;  and  Pichegru,  who  had  been  unanimously  chosen 
captain,  severely  reprimanded  him.  Without  a  compass, 
and  without  the  necessary  instruments  to  show  them  the 
way,  without  food,  and  with  two  bottles  of  rum  as  their  sole 
sustenance,  if  Ramel  is  to  be  believed,  they  suffered  acutely 


PICHEGRU,    RAMEL,    BARTHELEMY,    DELARUE,    ETC.     247 

from  hunger  for  eight  days.  But  their  moral  strength  kept 
them  up,  and  they  even  had  the  courage  to  joke  about 
their  misery  and  their  hunger,  which  they  bore  with  great 
patience. 

After  being  fired  at  on  their  passage  in  front  of  fort 
Orange,  because  they  would  not  hoist  their  flag,  they  were 
thrown  by  a  storm  upon  the  coast.  On  the  following  day 
they  were  reconnoitred  by  some  Dutch  soldiers.  There 
was  at  first  some  slight  difficulty  as  to  their  admission  to 
the  Dutch  territory  ;  but  that  being  soon  settled,  they  found 
themselves  the  objects  of  the  most  generous  hospitality. — 
(Jou?-nal  of  the  Adjutant-General  Ramel.} 

According  to  Delarue,  the  convicts  enjoyed  great  liberty 
at  Sinnamary :  they  could  go  about,  so  long  as  they  kept 
within  certain  limits ;  they  had  guns  and  ammunition,  and 
could  shoot.  The  post  of  Sinnamary,  guarded  by  a  few 
soldiers,  had  no  resemblance  whatever  to  a  fort ;  it  was  only 
a  poor  village,  inhabited  by  Indian  or  Creole  fishermen ; 
and  the  boat  they  used  for  their  escape  belonged  to  a 
German,  whom  they  knew  to  be  engaged  in  smuggling 
between  Surinam  and  Cayenne.  It  was  thought  that  such  a 
state  of  things  did  not  guarantee  much  for  the  security  of 
the  convicts,  and  it  was  decided  to  transport  them  to  a 
much  less  healthy  part  of  Guiana.  By  the  advice  of  Tilly, 
who  could  not  accompany  them,  as  he  was  being  transferred 
to  Cayenne,  and  with  the  certainty  of  the  help  of  Barrick,  his 
pilot,  they  determined  to  escape.  They  quietly  went  one  night 
with  their  firearms  to  a  wood,  where  Barrick  awaited  them, 
without  all  the  attending  circumstances  of  revelling  Ramel 
speaks  of.  They  had  no  sentinel  to  disarm,  but  only  to 
give  help  to  a  negro,  who  was  trying  to  master  a  turtle. 
The  boat  contained  provisions-^scanty,  it  is  true,  but  still 


248  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

more  than  sufficient  to  last  them  till  their  arrival  in  t!:e 
Dutch  possessions.  So  they  did  not  suffer  a  week  from 
hunger,  as  Ramel  says  :  they  heard  no  cannon  fired,  to 
signal  their  departure ;  in  short,  they  escaped  without  most 
of  those  episodes  with  which  Ramel  has  thought  proper  to 
embellish  his  recital. 


COLONEL    DE   RICHEZIONT. 

IN  the  year  1807  the  Baron  de  Richemont,  a  French 
colonel,  was  taken  by  an  English  privateer  in  the  ship 
bringing  him  from  the  Mauritius  to  Europe.  The  town  of 
Chesterfield  was  assigned  to  him  for  a  residence.  Riche- 
mont had  been  in  England  about  eighteen  months,  and 
every  proposal  of  exchange  had  been  refused,  when  one 
morning  he  saw  something  in  his  newspaper  which  made 
a  deep  impression  on  his  mind.  "I  had  just  been  reading," 
he  says  in  his  memoirs,  "  an  account  of  Colonel  Crawford 
who  had  escaped  from  Verdun,  where  he  was  a  prisoner  on 
parole,  and  who,  not  being  willing  to  take  the  command  of 
his  regiment,  until  his  conduct  had  been  approved  of, 
had  appealed  to  a  jury.  The  jury  had  declared,  that  he 
being  detained  prisoner  against  the  law  of  nations,  had  acted 
rightly  in  breaking  through  the  obligation  imposed  on  him. 
This  narrative  interested  me  very  much,  and  I  read  it 
several  times  over  with  deep  attention.  I  found  all  the 
details  of  the  escape  plainly  set  forth,  with  an  account  of 
the  ruse  to  which  he  had  recourse  to  ensure  without  fail  the 
success  of  his  plan.  He  had  petitioned  the  French  Govern- 
ment for  permission  to  drink  the  waters  of  Spa,  promising 
to  return  and  deliver  himself  prisoner  again  at  Verdun, 


COLONEL    DE    RICHEMONT.  249 

and  lie  had  taken  advantage  of  this  favour,  granted  with 
the  confidence  always  inspired  by  the  word  of  a  gentleman, 
to  return  to  England. 

"  The  various  thoughts  that  such  a  recital  gave  rise  to  in 
my  mind  are  more  easily  felt  than  described.  I  also  was 
detained  against  the  law  of  nations,  and  my  position  ad- 
mitted of  a  far  different  statement  from  that  of  the  English 
colonel's,  a  decree  of  the  high  court  of  admiralty  having 
declared  neutral  the  ship  on  which  I  had  been  arrested.  I 
had  officially  protested  against  the  injustice  of  my  deten- 
tion. I  was  moreover  free  from  any  kind  of  engagement 
by  the  declaration  of  the  jury  who  had  pronounced  the 
acquittal  of  Colonel  Crawford.  I  was  not  troubled  now 
with  the  slightest  scruple  of  delicacy." 

Having  made  up  his  mind,  Richemont  joined  himself 
to  a  Frenchman,  a  marine  officer  who  had  already  pro- 
posed to  him  to  escape.  They  first  decided  on  their  plan, 
and  then  Richemont  wrote  a  letter  to  the  gentlemen  of  the 
transport-office,  in  which  he  declared  his  intention  of  leav- 
ing England,  at  the  same  time  giving  his  reasons,  and 
reminding  his  gaolers  of  the  verdict  of  their  own  country- 
men in  the  Verdun  case.  "  This  letter,  posted  two  hours 
after  my  departure  from  Chesterfield,  reached  the  gentle- 
men of  the  transport-office  on  the  day  that  I  arrived  in 
London,  and  I  only  left  England  eight  or  ten  days  after- 
wards. I  evidently  gave  them  all  the  necessary  time  to 
make  their  search ;  but  in  all  conscience  they  could  not 
expect  me  to  surrender  myself  to  their  generosity."  The 
two  fugitives,  calling  themselves  Spaniards,  and  having  a 
well-filled  purse,  reached  the  capital  without  any  difficulty. 
They  then  immediately  posted  to  Folkstone  to  the  house  of 
a  certain  smuggler,  about  whom  Richemont  had  very 


250  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

precise  information.  "  I  knocked,  and  went  in.  The  girl 
who  had  opened  the  door  showed  me  into  a  very  clean  and 
comfortably  furnished  parlour,  where  I  found  the  man 
alone,  smoking  his  pipe,  with  a  glass  of  grog  before  him.  I 
nodded  to  him,  and  asked  if  I  had  the  honour  of  speaking 
to  Mr.  W.  G . 

"  'Yes  sir,'  he  said  ;  '  I  am  the  man.' 

"Then  going  straight  to  the  subject,  I  told  him  that  we 
were  two  Frenchmen,  who  looked  to  him  for  the  means  to 
return  to  France. 

"  'What  do  you  take  me  for  ? '  said  he  in  an  angry  tone. 

"'Master,'  I  answered  directly,  'don't  let  us  get  angry;  talk 
coolly.  If  you  have  to  complain  of  me  in  any  way,  you  will 
always  be  free  to  do  as  you  please,  but  listen  to  me  first. 
We  are  two  honourable  and  discreet  gentlemen,  who  only 
wish  to  deal  pleasantly  with  you ;  but  I  ought  to  tell  you, 
that  I  have  taken  measures  to  make  you  pay  dearly,  if 
necessary,  for  an  obstinate  refusal,  for  I  have  about  me  all 
the  documents  to  prove  that,  at  such  a  time,  you  came  to 

Chesterfield,  took  Captain  X away  in  your  post  chaise, 

kept  him  hidden  so  many  days  in  your  house,  and  at  last 
carried  him  in  your  vessel  to  the  other  side  of  the  channel. 
I  have  now  to  offer  you  one  hundred  pounds  sterling,  and 
the  gratitude  and  friendship  of  two  men  of  heart  and  loyalty 
besides.' 

"  'A  man  that  talks  in  that  way/  said  he,  taking  ray  hand, 
and  shaking  it  vigorously,  'is  served  in  every  country.  Your 
manner  suits  me ;  there  is  frankness  and  resolution  in  your 
words.  You  are  welcome ;  I  am  your  man ;  you  shall 
always  have  reason  to  think  well  of  me.  Don't  fear ;  we 
are  the  real  kings  of  the  sea,  and  not  those  upstarts  of  the 
royal  navy.' 


COLONEL   DE   RICHEMONT.  251 

" '  Quite  true,1  said  I,  and  shook  his  hand  cordially. 
1  That's  a  bargain,'  I  added;  'and  now  we  must  agree  as  to 
the  carrying  out  of  the  plan."  I  then  told  him  where  we  had 
put  up,  and  that  the  important  thing  was  to  be  able  to  wait 
in  safety  for  decidedly  favourable  weather,  and  to  provide 
for  everything  during  our  stay. 

"  'All  right,'  said  the  master ;  '  everything  shall  be  done, 
and  well  done.  At  such  a  time  to-night,  come  to  me  here, 
and  I  will  take  you  to  a  place  of  safety,  where  you  can 
drink,  smoke,  and  sleep  at  your  ease,  without  thinking 
about  anything.' 

"  At  the  time  mentioned  we  went  to  the  smuggler,  who 
was  expecting  us.  I  put  into  his  hands  the  hundred 
pounds  agreed  on,  telling  him  he  must  expect  to  see  on  the 
walls,  a  notice  of  the  transport-office,  promising  a  reward 
to  whoever  should  arrest  us. 

"  'Never  mind,'  said  he  quickly;  '  I  might  be  offered  the 
crown  of  England,  but  never  shall  an  act  of  cowardice  or 
treachery  be  laid  to  my  door.' 

"We  started,  and  entered  rather  a  mean  looking  place, 
a  regular  den  of  smugglers,  a  house  with  innumerable  doors 
or  traps.  Had  they  come  to  arrest  us  here,  we  might  have 
escaped  in  a  dozen  different  directions.  The  house  was 
lighted,  and  consequently  inhabited.  We  found  in  it  a 
woman,  no  longer  young,  who  was  introduced  to  us  as  our 
servant  and  cook ;  we  saw  in  the  sitting-room  a  side  table, 
laid  out  with  plenty  of  china.  As  for  the  kitchen,  it  was 
arranged  d  Fanglaise,  with  iron  ovens. 

"'You  will  only  have  to  give  your  orders,' said  Master 

G .  '  The  pantry  is  well  furnished ;  beer,  tobacco, 

and  eatables  are  there  in  abundance,  and  you  can  choose 
the  best' 


252  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

"  He  showed  us  two  bedrooms,  each  containing  a  bed. 
a  table,  and  a  few  chairs.  In  one  was  a  writing  table, 
with  paper  and  ink.  Installed  thus,  and  treated  with  more 
care  and  attention  than  even  the  strictest  hospitality  de- 
manded, when  we  could  only  expect  security  in  the  most 
humble  retreat,  we  thanked  and  shook  hands  with  our 
liberator,  who  took  leave  of  us  laughing,  and  wishing  us 
a  good  night. 

"  We  had  already  passed  seven  or  eight  days  trying  to 
kill  time  in  this  solitude,  when  the  smuggler  suddenly  came 
and  told  us  that  the  wind  had  changed  most  favourably ; 
that  there  was  every  chance  of  it  remaining  in  its  present 
quarter,  and  that  at  about  ten  that  night,  he  would  come 
with  some  sailors'  clothes,  and  we  should  set  sail  under  the 
best  auspices.  Happy  news  !  We  paid  all  our  scores ;  we 
thanked  and  rewarded  our  cook  as  she  deserved  ;  in  short, 
we  satisfied  all  the  exigencies  of  equity,  and  even  the  most 
generous  liberality,  and  awaited  the  solemn  moment.  It 
came  at  last.  We  put  on  our  clothes,  the  pantaloons  and 
large  sailor  waistcoats  brought  for  us,  and  we  went  out  with 
cutlasses  at  our  sides.  We  reached  the  beach,  where  we 
found  a  pretty  little  skiff  of  15  or  16  feet  long,  without  a 
deck,  and  launched  her.  We  put  up  the  mast,  unfurled  the 
sail,  fixed  the  helm,  and  jumped  in  with  the  two  sailors 

given  us  by  Master  G .  We  pushed  off,  the  sail 

swelled  to  the  breere,  and  we  were  gone.  A  custom-house 
ship  was  on  guard  in  the  harbour,  and  made  signs  for  us  to 
go  alongside  of  it ;  we  did  not  pay  any  attention,  and  be- 
fore it  had  time  to  lower  and  arm  its  boat,  we  were  far 
ahead,  for  our  skiff  was  a  swift  one,  and  the  darkness 
shrouded  us.  We  were  all  four  sailors,  and  each  had  his 
post ;  one  at  the  helm,  another  managing  the  sail,  the  third 


COLONEL   DE   RICHEMONT.  253 

in  the  front  of  the  boat,  and  the  fourth,  furnished  with  a 
night-glass,  was  commissioned  to  explore  the  horizon.  A 
good  breeze  was  blowing,  but  the  sea  was  calm ;  in  less 
than  two  hours  we  had  passed  Cape  Grisnez.  We  steered 
a  southward  course,  and  each  time  we  heard  a  signal  of 
recognition,  we  answered  it  in  a  friendly  manner,  for  we 
were  provided  with  all  the  signals  corresponding  to  those  of 
the  coast.  We  kept  close  in  shore,  so  that  at  the  least  sus- 
picious movement,  we  might  be  able  to  reach  the  coast  and 
land  in  spite  of  all  the  small  boats.  At  daybreak  we  boldly 
entered  the  little  harbour  of  Vimerene,  and  I  jumped 
lightly  on  land. 

"The  commander  of  that  post  making  his  usual  morning 
rounds,  came  up  the  moment  after,  and  said  with  some 
temper :  '  If  I  had  been  present,  you  would  not  have 
landed,  monsieur.' 

"  '  Sir,'  I  answered,  '  even  if  the  emperor,  to  whom  I  am 
devoted  body  and  soul  as  much  as  any  man  in  France,  had 
wished  to  forbid  my  touching  the  soil  of  my  country,  I 
should  have  done  so  in  defiance  of  him  and  his  valiant 
guard,  in  defiance  of  you  and  your  garrison.  I  am  Colonel 
Richemont;  make  your  report.'" 

Richemont  proceeded  direct  to  Boulogne,  and  there 
obtained  the  liberty  of  the  two  English  sailors,  who  had 
been  temporarily  detained,  and  rewarded  them  geneiously.- — 
{Memoir cs  du  General  Camus,  Bar  on  dc  fLidt&)l6tit?) 


254  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

CAPTAIN   GRIVEL. 
1810. 

ADMIRAL  ROSILY  having  taken  refuge  in  the  port  of  Cadiz 
with  four  ships,  the  poor  remnants  of  Trafalgar,  was,  after  a 
gallant  struggle,  obliged  to  surrender  to  overpowering 
numbers.  The  infamous  capitulation  of  Baylen  singularly 
increased  the  number  of  prisoners  condemned  to  the  tortures 
of  those  plague-stricken  prisons,  the  guardships.  Still,  one 
of  these  vessels,  the  Vieille  Castille  was  a  privileged  abode. 
Specially  set  apart  for  the  officers,  whose  daily  pay  allowed 
them  to  live  very  comfortably,  the  Vieille  Castille,  was  not 
ravaged  by  typhus  fever,  nor  were  the  unhappy  prisoners  there 
afflicted  with  the  agonies  of  hunger.  Still,  they  felt  them- 
selves prisoners,  and  only  dreamt  of  freedom,  the  more 
especially  when,  on  the  French  army  approaching  Cadiz,  they 
discovered  their  comrades  encamped  at  only  an  hour's 
distance  from  their  prisons.  Many  plans  were  formed,  and 
then  abandoned,  for  peace  and  amity  did  not  precisely  reign 
among  the  prisoners,  who  kept  reproaching  each  other  with 
their  prudence  or  temerity.  At  last,  the  boldest  of  them — 
Grivel,  then  captain  of  the  sailors  of  the  guard,  now  rear- 
admiral  and  senator,  agreed  with  his  friends  to  carry  off  the 
first  boat  approaching  in  a  high  wind.  On  the  25th  February, 
1810,  \\-\QMnlet,  a  small  Spanish  ship  carrying  water  barrels, 
came  alongside  the  Vieille  Castille.  The  breeze  was  a  favour- 
able one  ;  under  pretext  of  helping  to  transport  the  barrels, 
the  chiefs  of  the  plot  were  lowered  into  the  boat,  and  there 
gained  the  sailors.  The  sail  was  unfurled  and  spread,  with- 
out loss  of  time.  While  they  were  getting  under  way  in  great 
haste,  an  English  boat  left  the  admiral's  ship,  and  saluted 
the  fugitives  with  a  discharge  of  musketry ;  the  guard  on 


LAVALETTE  255 

shore,  answered  the  signal,  and  soon  cannons,  muskets, 
pistols- — everything  in  short,  was  turned  against  the  little 
boat.  Only  one  man,  however,  perished,  a  sailor.  Captain 
Grivel  and  his  companions  headed  straight  among  the 
merchant  ships  anchoring  near  Cadiz,  and  made  a  bulwark 
of  them.  The  greatest  interest  was  shown  in  their  success. 
"  Hurrah  !  Hurrah ;"  cried  the  different  crews.  "  Courage 
Frenchmen  /"  Encouraged  by  these  signs  of  sympathy,  the 
fugitives  profited  by  the  favourable  breeze,  and  landed,  to 
the  number  of  thirty-four,  on  the  coast  of  Andalusia,  after  an 
hour  of  constant  anxiety  and  danger.  Marshal  Soult  ex- 
pressed the  highest  admiration  of  their  courageous  conduct, 
"Bah!  Marshal"  answered  Grivel,  "it  is  only  a  sailor's 
trick!" 


LAVALETTE. 
1815. 

ARRESTED  on  the  i8th  June,  1815,  and  imprisoned  at  the 
Conciergerie,  Count  Lavalette  had  been  condemned  to  death, 
for  having  taken  an  active  part  in  the  return  from  Elba, 
In  vain  his  wife  endeavoured  to  soften  Louis  XVIII.,  who 
would  not  forego  his  revenge ;  in  vain  she  hoped  to  find 
mercy  in  the  Duchess  d'Angouleme.  She  was  cruelly  re 
pulsed  on  every  side.  "  Literally  worn  out,"  says  Lavalette 
in  his  Memoirs,  "she  sank  down  on  the  stone  steps 
of  the  palace,  and  stayed  there  for  an  hour,  still  hoping 
against  hope  that  she  would  be  allowed  to  enter.  She 
attracted  the  notice  of  all  the  passers  by,  especially  of  those 
going  to  the  chateau ;  but  none  dared  show  her  a  sign  of 
compassion.  At  last  she  decided  on  leaving  the  palace,  and 


256  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

returning  to  my  prison,  where  she  soon  arrived,  weary  and 
heart-broken." 

The  hours  of  Lavalette  were  numbered ;  by  dint  of 
questioning  his  jailers,  he  had  discovered  that  the  execution 
was  fixed  for  Thursday  morning,  and  it  was  then  Tuesday 
evening.  "  At  six,"  says  he,  "  my  wife  came  to  dine  with  me, 
and  when  we  were  alone,  she  said,  '  It  appears  only  too 
certain  that  we  have  nothing  now  to  hope  for.  It  is  time 
then  to  decide  on  something,  and  this  is  what  I  propose  : 
at  eight  o'clock  you  will  go  from  here,  in  my  clothes,  and, 
accompanied  by  my  cousin,  you  will  step  into  my  sedan  chair, 
which  will  take  you  to  the  Rue  des  Saints-Peres,  where  you 
will  find  M.  Baudus  in  a  gig  :  he  will  take  you  to  some  place 
prepared  for  you,  and  you  will  wait  there  till  you  can  leave 
France  without  danger." 

This  plan  seemed  at  first  quite  impracticable  to  Lavalette ; 
but  his  wife  urged  it  so  strongly,  that  he  feared  to  increase 
her  grief,  and  perhaps  endanger  her  life  by  a  refusal.  He 
only  suggested,  that  the  gig  being  so  far  away,  he  should  not 
be  able  to  reach  it  before  they  had  discovered  his  escape, 
and  that  then  he  could  be  easily  taken  prisoner  again.  They 
then  agreed  to  modify  and  somewhat  change  the  plan. 
The  next  day  was  spent  in  heart-rending  adieux. 

"  At  five  o'clock,  Madam  de  Lavalette  arrived,  accom- 
panied by  Josephine,  whom  I  recognised  with  as  much 
surprise  as  joy.  '  I  think  it  better '  said  she,  '  to  take 
our  child  with  us,  she  will  now  easily  follow  out  my  idea.' 
She  had  put  on  a  dress  of  merino,  lined  with  fur,  and  she 
carried  a  black  silk  skirt  in  her  bag.  '  Nothing  more  is 
needed'  she  said,  '  to  disguise  you  perfectly.'  She  then  sent 
her  daughter  to  the  window,  and  said  in  a  low  tone  :  '  At 
seven  exactly  you  will  be  ready  dressed,  everthing  is  well 


LAVALETTE.  257 

prepared  :  you  will  walk  out,  giving  your  arm  to  Josephine. 
Mind  and  walk  slowly ;  and  when  you  cross  the  large  hall, 
put  on  my  gloves,  and  hold  my  handkerchief  to  your  face.  I 
had  thought  of  bringing  a  veil,  but  unfortunately  I  have  not 
been  accustomed  to  wear  one  during  my  visits  here,  so  it  must 
not  be  thought  of.  Take  great  care,  when  passing  under  the 
doors,  which  are  very  low,  not  to  knock  off  the  flowers  on 
your  bonnet,  for  all  would  be  lost  then.'"  Madame  de 
Lavalette  next  proceeded  to  give  the  necessary  instructions 
to  her  daughter,  and  had  almost  finished,  when  there  entered 
a  friend  of  Lavalette's,  M.  de  Sainte-Rose,  who  came  to  bid 
him  adieu.  It  was  important  that  he  should  be  dismissed 
as  soon  as  possible.  This  Lavalette  did  under  the  pretext 
that  his  wife  was  still  ignorant  of  the  fatal  hour.  He  treated 
in  the  same  manner  Colonel  de  Bricqueville  who  had 
quitted  his  bed,  where  he  was  kept  by  several  serious 
wounds,  to  come  and  take  leave  of  his  friend.  "  At  last 
dinner  was  served  up.  This  meal  which  perhaps  was  to  be 
the  last  in  my  life,  I  found  horrible.  We  could  not  swallow 
a  morsel ;  we  did  not  exchange  a  word,  and  we  were  obliged 
to  pass  nearly  an  hour  in  that  manner.  At  last  the  clock 
struck  the  three  quarters  past  six,  and  Madame  de  Lavalette 
rang  the  bell.  Bonneville,  my  valet,  entered  the  room  ;  she 
took  him. aside,  said  a  few  words  in  his  ear,  and  added 
aloud,  'Be  sure  to  have  the  porters  ready;  I  am  going 
soon.  Come,'  she  said  to  me ;  '  it  is  time  for  you  to  dress 
now.'  I  had  had  a  screen  placed  in  my  chamber,  so  as 
to  form  behind  it  a  small  dressing-room ;  we  then  went 
behind  this  screen.  While  dressing  me  with  charming 
quickness  and  skill,  she  never  ceased  repeating,  '  Don't  for- 
get to  bend  your  head  as  you  pass  under  the  doors.  Walk 
slowly  through  the  outer  room,  like  a  person  worn  out 


?.<)%  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

by  much  suffering.'  In  less  than  three  minutes  my  toilet 
was  completed.  We  all  advanced  in  silence  towards  the 
door.  '  The  porter,'  I  said  to  Emily,  '  comes  every  night 
after  you  leave.  Mind  and  stay  behind  the  screen,  and 
make  a  slight  noise  by  moving  some  piece  of  furniture.  He 
will  think  I  am  there,  and  will  go  out  for  the  few  moments 
that  will  give  me  the  necessary  time  to  escape.'  She 
understood  me,  and  I  pulled  the  bell  rope.  We  heard  the 
jailor's  footsteps ;  Emily  sprang  behind  the  screen,  and  the 
door  was  opened.  I  passed  out  first,  my  daughter  next, 
Madame  Dutoit  (an  old  servant  of  Madame  de  Lavalette's) 
closed  the  march.  After  crossing  the  passage  I  came  to  the 
door  of  the  outer  room.  There  I  was  obliged  to  lift  my 
foot  on  account  of  the  doorstep,  and  at  the  same  time  to 
bow  my  head  so  that  the  feathers  of  the  bonnet  should  not 
touch  the  ceiling.  I  succeeded  ;  but  on  raising  my  head,  I 
found  myself  opposite  to  five  jailors,  sitting,  leaning,  stand- 
ing, the  whole  length  of  the  way.  I  held  my  handkerchief  to 
my  eyes,  and  waited  for  my  daughter  to  place  herself  near 
me,  as  was  agreed.  The  child  took  my  right  arm,  and  the 
porter  coming  down  the  stairs  from  his  room,  which  was  on 
the  left,  advanced  towards  me,  and  placing  his  hand  on  my 
arm,  said,  'You  are  leaving  early,  my  lady.'  He  seemed  very 
agitated,  and  probably  thought  the  wife  had  bidden  the  hus- 
band adieu  for  ever.  They  afterwards  said  that  my  daughter 
and  I  cried  aloud,  though  we  scarcely  dared  sigh.  At  last 
I  came  to  the  end  of  the  hall.  Day  and  night  a  turnkey  sits 
there  in  a  large  armchair,  in  a  space  narrow  enough  to 
allow  him  to  place  his  hands  on  the  keys  of  the  two  gates, 
one  an  iron  gate,  the  other  made  of  wood,  and  called  the 
first  entrance.  The  jailor  kept  looking  at  me,  but  did  not 
open ;  I  therefore  passed  my  hand  between  the  bars  to 


I  held  my  handkerchief  to  my  eyes. 


LAVALETTE.  259 

make  him  aware  of  our  presence.  At  last  he  turned  his  two 
keys,  and  we  walked  out.  Once  outside,  my  daughter  did 
not  forget,  but  took  my  right  arm.  There  are  twelve  steps 
to  mount  before  you  get  to  the  court,  but  the  guard  of  gen- 
darmes is  stationed  at  the  foot  of  them.  About  twenty 
soldiers  headed  by  the  officer,  stood  three  paces  from  rne  to 
see  Madame  de  Lavalette  pass.  I  at  length  reached  the  last 
step,  and  entered  the  chair  which  stood  two  or  three  yards 
off.  But  there  were  no  signs  of  porters  or  servants.  My 
daughter  and  the  old  servant  were  standing  near  the  chair, 
the  sentinel  ten  paces  off  motionless  and  turned  towards 
rne.  To  my  astonishment  succeeded  a  feeling  of  violent 
agitation  ;  my  eyes  were  fixed  on  the  sentry's  gun,  as  those 
of  a  serpent  on  its  prey.  I  felt,  so  to  speak,  the  gun  between 
my  clenched  hands.  At  the  slightest  movement,  the 
slightest  noise,  I  felt  myself  springing  on  this  arm.  .  . 
This  terrible  situation  lasted  about  ten  minutes  only,  but  to 
me  it  seemed  the  length  of  a  night.  At  last  I  heard 
Bonneville's  voice,  saying  in  a  low  tone  :  '  One  of  the 
porters  was  missing,  but  I  have  found  another.'  I  then  felt 
myself  lifted.  The  chair  crossed  the  great  court,  and  turned 
to  the  right  on  going  out.  We  proceeded  in  that  way  to 
the  Quai  des  Orfe'vres,  opposite  the  little  Rue  du  Harlay. 
There  the  chair  stopped,  the  door  opened,  and  my  friend 
Baudus,  offering  me  his  arm,  said  aloud :  '  You  know, 
madame,  you  have  still  a  visit  to  pay  to  the  president.'  I 
stepped  out,  and  he  pointed  out  to  me  a  gig  a  short  distance 
off  in  the  small,  dark  street.  I  sprang  into  this  carriage, 
and  one  touch  made  the  horse  start  at  a  good  trot.  Passing 
the  quay  I  saw  Josephine,  her  hands  clasped,  and  praying 
to  God  with  all  her  heart.  We  crossed  the  Pont  St.  Michel, 
the  Rue  de  la  Harpe,  and  were  soon  in  the  Rue  Vaugirard 

S  2 


260  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

behind  the  Odeon,  where  I  began  to  breathe.  I  then 
looked  at  the  coachman,  and  what  was  my  astonishment  to 
recognise  the  Comte  de  Chassenon  !  '  What !  you  here  ! ' 
said  I.  '  Yes ;  and  you  have  behind  you  four  double-bar- 
relled pistols.  I  hope  you  will  use  them.1  '  No ;  really  I 
do  not  wish  to  endanger  you.'  'Then  I'll  set  you  the 
example ;  and  woe  to  any  who  tries  to  stop  you ! '  We 
went  as  far  as  the  boulevard,  at  the  corner  of  the  Rue 
Plumet,  where  we  stopped.  On  the  way  I  had  thrown  off 
all  my  feminine  attire,  and  put  on  a  postillion's  coat,  with 
the  round  gold-braided  hat. 

"  M.  Baudus  soon  came  up.  1  took  leave  of  M.  du  Chas- 
senon, and  modestly  followed  my  new  master.  It  was  eight 
in  the  evening ;  the  rain  fell  in  torrents,  the  night  was  dark, 
and  the  solitude  complete  in  this  part  of  the  Faubourg  St. 
Germain.  I  walked  with  much  trouble,  and  it  was  with 
great  difficulty  I  followed  M.  Baudus,  whose  pace  was  very 
rapid.  I  soon  lost  one  of  my  shoes,  but  still  had  to  go  on. 
We  met  some  gendarmes,  running  fast,  and  little  thinking  I 
was  there,  for  they  were  probably  in  search  of  me.  At  last 
after  an  hour's  march,  tired  out,  one  foot  in  my  shoe,  the 
other  naked,  I  saw  M.  Baudus  stop  for  an  instant  at  the 
Rue  de  Crenelle  near  the  Rue  du  Bac.  '  I  am  going,'  he 
said,  '  into  an  hotel  j  while  I  am  talking  to  the  porter,  enter 
the  court.  On  the  left  you  will  find  a  staircase ;  go  up  to 
the  last  story,  and  follow  the  dark  passage  on  the  right ;  at 
the  end  of  that  is  a  pile  of  wood, — stay  there  and  wait.'  We 
proceeded  a  few  steps  farther  along  the  Rue  du  Bac,  and  a 
sort  of  giddiness  came  over  me  when  I  saw  him  knock  at 
the  door  of  the  minister  of  foreign  affairs.  He  entered 
first,  and  while  he  stood  talking  with  the  porter,  whose  head 
was  out  of  his  lodge,  I  passed  quickly  by.  '  Where's  that 


LAVALETTE.  26 1 

man  going?'  cried  the  porter.  'He  is  my  servant.'  I 
went  up  stairs  to  the  third  story,  and  came  to  the  place 
mentioned.  I  had  scarcely  reached  it,  when  I  heard  the 
rustling  of  a  stuff  dress,  and  felt  myself  gently  taken  by  the 
arm,  and  pushed  into  a  room,  the  door  of  which  was  closed 
after  me." 

A  fire  was  burning,  and  on  a  small  table  Lavalette  saw 
a  candlestick  and  some  matches,  from  which  he  concluded 
that  the  room  could  be  lighted  without  danger.  On  the 
bureau  was  a  paper,  containing  these  words:  "No  noise, 
open  the  window  at  night,  only  wear  soft  shoes,  and  wai- 
patiently."  Near  this  paper  was  a  bottle  of  excellent  Bor- 
deaux wine,  with  several  volumes  of  Moliere  and  Rabelais, 
ard  a  small  basket  containing  some  elegant  toilet  fittings. 

M.  Baudus  shortly  came  in,  threw  himself  in  his  friend's 
arms,  and  told  him  he  was  in  the  apartment  of  M.  Bresson, 
cashier  at  the  office  of  foreign  affairs.  Proscribed  under 
the  Reign  of  Terror,  M.  Bresson  and  his  wife  had  found 
shelter  with  some  kind  people  who  had  concealed  them  at 
the  peril  of  their  lives.-  Lavalette  shared  this  shelter  with 
them  for  eighteen  days,  during  all  which  time  he  heard  the 
criers  in  the  streets,  threatening  severe  punishment  to  any 
person  harbouring  him. 

Madame  de  Lavalette  was  soon  discovered  by  the  jailor 
behind  the  screen.  The  alarm  once  given,  this  heroic 
woman  found  herself  a  butt  for  the  insults  of  those  wretches 
who  were  not  capable  of  appreciating  her  courage.  The 
procureur  general  Bellart,  ordered  them  to  cease  their  noisy 
rudeness,  but  assaulted  Madame  de  Lavalette  with  ribaldry 
and  abuse,  and  put  her  in  a  room  overlooking  the  court  of 
the  women,  whose  shouts  and  coarse  talk  were  a  martyrdom 
for  her.  After  studying  with  great  care  the  best  means 


262  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

of  getting  Lavalette  out  of  the  kingdom,  his  friends  took 
counsel  of  a  young  Englishman,  Mr.  Bruce,  who  accepted 
the  proposal  with  joy,  and  entrusted  it  to  General  Wilson. 
This  latter,  whose  efforts  to  save  Marshal  Ney  had  proved 
so  vain,  wished  to  take  his  revenge.  Everything  was 
settled,  every  event  well  provided  for,  and  in  spite  of  gen- 
darmes, custom-house  officers,  and  all  the  difficulties  of 
such  a  journey,  Lavalette,  in  the  uniform  of  an  English 
officer,  was  conducted  by  General  Wilson  on  to  Belgian 
ground.  "  On  shaking  hands  with  the  general,  I  expressed 
with  deep  emotion  all  my  gratitude  ;  but  he,  still  preserving 
his  imperturbable  calm,  only  smiled  without  answering. 
Half  an  hour  after,  he  turned  to  me,  and  said  very  seriously  : 
*  Now,  my  dear  fellow,  give  me  your  reasons  for  not  wishing 
to  be  guillotined?'  I  was  surprised,  and  looked  at  him 
without  answering.  '  Yes,'  he  went  on  ;  '  I  was  told  that 
you  had  requested  as  a  particular  favour  that  you  might  be 
shot.'  '  Because,'  I  said  ;  'the  prisoner  is  dragged  in  a  cart 
with  his  hands  tied  behind  his  back  ;  he  is  attached  to  a 

plank' 'Oh,  I  understand  ;   you  did  not  wish  to  die 

like  a  calf.'  A  few  hours  afterwards,  the  two  friends  sepa- 
rated: one  proceeding  to  Germany,  the  other  returning  to 
Paris,  where  he  underwent  several  months'  imprisonment  for 
his  generous  conduct. 

GIOVANNI  ARRIVABENE,   UGONI,   AND 
SCALVINI. 

1822. 

DURING  his  campaign  of  Guaita,  in  1820,  the  Count 
Giovanni  Arrivabene  had  had  the  hardihood  to  receive 
Pellico,  his  two  pupils,  and  their  father,  Count  Porro, 


GIOVANNI    ARRIVABENE,    UGONI,    AND    SCALVINI.        263 

men  who,  to  use  the  expression  of  Lamennais,  had  dared 
to  pronounce  the  word  country.  This  crime  incurred  the 
penalty  of  death,  though  the  tender  mercy  of  Austria  some- 
times commuted  it  to  fifteen  or  twenty  years  of  hard  labour. 
Porro  being  pursued,  and  Pellico  arrested,  their  host  could 
not  expect  less  ;  and  he  was,  in  fact,  seized  and  arraigned. 
He  was,  however,  released,  but  shortly  after  he  found  out 
that  the  Austrian  police  regretted  their  clemency.  He 
accordingly  left  his  home  one  day  in  the  greatest  secrecy, 
crossed  Brescia,  and  came  to  the  house  of  his  two  oldest  and 
most  devoted  friends,  Camillo  Ugoni  and  Giovita  Scalvini, 
whom  he  informed  of  his  determination  to  fly,  and  of  their 
own  state  of  insecurity,  offering  them  at  the  same  time 
places  in  his  carriage.  They  did  not  hesitate  a  moment, 
but  their  preparations  for  departure  occupied  some  little 
time,  and  they  were,  of  course,  anxious  to  maintain  the 
greatest  secrecy.  It  being  then  four  in  the  afternoon,  they 
decided  to  wait  till  daybreak.  Scalvini  took  Arrivabene 
home  with  him,  and  put  him  in  the  bed  usually  occupied  by 
his  mother.  The  good  lady,  from  whom  they  wished  to 
conceal  the  real  state  of  affairs,  was  so  effectually  kept  in 
the  dark,  that,  without  knowing  anything  of  their  secret,  she 
was  made  instrumental  in  giving  the  alarm  in  case  of  a  visit 
from  the  police.  On  the  loth  of  April,  1822,  the  fugitives 
and  one  of  Arrivabene's  servants  left  Brescia ;  and  choosing 
the  roads  along  the  valley,  they  soon  dismissed  the  carriage, 
and  pursued  their  way  on  horseback.  They  passed  three 
days  and  three  nights  in  the  labyrinth  of  valleys,  constantly 
changing  guides,  and  they  were  received  everywhere  with 
the  attention  and  respect  worthy  of  the  most  ancient  times. 
At  Edolo,  a  village  on  the  Adda,  twelve  hours  from  Tirano, 
they  saw  the  uniforms  of  some  gendarmes  hung  over  a  large 


264  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

fire  in  an  inn.     "What's  this?"    "Hush!  they  are  asleep  ! 
poor  wretches,  it  would  be  a  pity  to  wake  them  ! " 

The  gendarmes  had  been  pursuing  three  fugitives,  and 
half  dead  with  the  long  ride  and  with  the  drenching  rain, 
they  had  taken  shelter  in  the  inn.  The  three  outlaws  were 
too  charitably  disposed  to  disturb  them ;  but  one  of  them, 
touching  the  pockets  of  a  sleeping  soldier,  called  out,  "This, 
perhaps,  contains  the  order  for  our  arrest ;  let  us  leave  the 
den  before  the  lion  roars  !  "  In  spite  of  all  the  kind  offers 
of  those  around,  they  could  only  procure  two  horses.  The 
man  walked ;  Ugoni  rode  one  horse,  and  Scalvini  and 
Arrivabene  mounted  the  other  as  best  they  could.  The 
gendarmes  slept  on.  At  daybreak  the  fugitives  crossed  the 
heights  of  the  mountain  called  the  Sapei  della  Briga,  where 
they  found  some  gendarmes  quartered ;  but  the  good  angel 
who  had  sent  the  men  at  Edolo  to  sleep,  did  the  same  for 
their  comrades,  and  Arrivabene  and  his  companions  passed 
them  unseen.  There  still  remained  the  most  difficult 
place  to  pass, — the  frontier.  They  called  themselves  cattle 
drivers,  going  to  the  fair,  and  quietly  crossed  the  line  of 
Austrian  custom-house  officers.  The  fugitives  uncovered 
their  heads,  but  scarcely  had  they  passed  the  boundary 
mark  when  they  fell  exhausted  to  the  ground.  The  effect 
was  indescribable.  On  one  side  the  officers,  blaspheming 
and  threatening,  furious  at  the  trick  played  upon  them  ; 
and  on  the  other,  the  poor  exiles,  leaving  country,  fortune, 
friends,  and  all  they  held  most  dear ;  but  blessing  Heaven 
for  their  safety,  and  only  answering  the  insults  heaped  on 
them  by  a  quiet  indifference.  The  innkeeper  of  Edolo  was 
imprisoned  for  a  long  period;  and  his  poor  wife,  whom  they 
had  told  that  her  husband  would  be  hanged,  died  suddenly 
of  fear  and  grief.  (My  Prisons.  Silvio  Pellico.) 


O        i 


MARRAST,    GUINARD,   GODEFROl   CAVAIGNAC.  265 

MARRAST,  GUINARD,  GODEFROl  CAVAIGNAC. 
AND  OTHER  POLITICAL  PRISCNERS. 

JULY,  1834. 

SOON  after  the  riots  of  April,  1834,  at  Paris  and  at  Lyons, 
many  men,  whose  hostile  opinions  to  the  Government  were 
well  known,  were  arraigned  before  the  court  of  peers,  and 
accused  of  having  taken  part  in  those  movements.  Among 
those  accused  were  MM.  Guinard,  Marrast,  Godefroi 
Cavaignac,  brother  to  the  great  general  of  that  name, 
Berrier-Fontaine,  etc. 

The  trial  went  on,  but  on  the  night  of  the  i2th  July, 
news  was  brought  that  twenty  eight  of  those  imprisoned  at 
Sainte  Pelagic,  formerly  the  prison  for  debtors,  had  managed 
to  escape. 

The  watch  kept  over  them  was  purely  nominal,  they  had 
communication  with  persons  outside, -and  passed  the  whole 
of  their  time  either  in  their  own  rooms  or  in  the  court  pro- 
vided for  them  to  walk  in.  The  door  of  a  cellar  opened  on 
to  this  court,  and  the  cellar  itself  extended  as  far  as  the 
centre  of  the  prison,  so  that  the  end  of  it  was  only  separated 
by  a  very  short  distance  from  the  garden  of  a  neighbouring 
house.  To  enter  this  garden  they  had  only  to  pierce  the 
wall  of  the  cellar,  and  to  form  a  gallery  passing  under 
the  sentinel's  post  and  the  two  exterior  walls,  which 
they  accomplished.  They  hollowed  out  a  passage,  about 
ten  yards  in  length,  by  one  yard  in  diameter,  and  so  con- 
structed that  its  extremity  touched  the  ground  of  the 
garden,  belonging  to  a  house  situated  at  7,  Rue  Copeau. 
Maintaining  their  communications  with  those  outside,  they 
found  everything  in  this  house  that  could  aid  their  ilight,  all 
matters  being  so  arranged  as  not  to  compromise  any  person. 


266  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

About  nine  at  night  they  pierced  through  the  thin  crust  of 
earth  that  still  divided  their  passage  from  the  open  air,  posted 
in  that  way  from  Sainte  Pelagic  into  the  garden,  and  from 
there  hurried  away  singly  or  in  twos  and  threes.  The  minis- 
terial newspapers  declared  that  they  had  managed  to  obtain 
a  false  key  for  the  cellar  door.  According  to  the  National, 
this  cellar  was  always  given  up  to  the  prisoners.  Some 
twenty-eight  of  them  escaped  in  this  way,  but,  about  fifteen 
others  refused  to  follow  them  from  various  motives,  or  were 
hindered  from  doing  so  by  illness.  Those,  however,  who 
were  not  kept  to  their  rooms,  stayed  in  the  court,  as  they 
were  accustomed  to  do  till  ten  o'clock  every  night,  and  their 
presence  in  that  place,  their  conversation,  and  their  noise, 
prevented  the  keepers  from  suspecting  the  flight  of  the  rest. 
In  short,  this  escape  was  so  easy,  and  so  favoured  by  circum- 
stances, that  it  was  even  said  authority  had  lent  its  aid,  in 
order  to  escape  the  difficulties  of  a  trial  very  hard  to  termi- 
nate. Those  prisoners  who  went  abroad  found  very  few 
obstacles  on  their  way  out  of  the  kingdom.  Still  Armand 
Marrast  and  his  travelling  companions  were  arrested  by 
gendarmes  at  only  forty  kilometres  from  the  frontier,  and  on 
a  cross  road  which  they  fancied  very  secure.  For  two  hours 
they  were  detained  by  a  brigadier  of  gendarmes,  when  for- 
tunately for  them,  a  civil  officer  came  up.  Marrast  quickly 
addressed  him :  "  Sir,  I  will  make  you  responsible  for  the 
consequences  of  this  delay ;  for  two  hours  I  have  been 
awaiting  your  presence  to  get  rid  of  the  absurd  mistakes  of 
these  gendarmes,  who  take  me  for  I  don't  know  what."  The 
official,  rather  confused,  carefully  examined  the  passports  of 
the  two  travellers,  which  of  course  were  in  perfect  order,  and 
allowed  them  to  go.  That  same  night,  Marrast,  guided  by 
some  smugglers,  passed  the  frontier  without  difficulty.  M. 


MONSIEUR    RUFIN    PIOTROWSKI.  267 

Guinard  had  the  same  good  fortune.  He  went  to  dine  at 
Compiegne  with  a  friend,  who,  to  make  matters  safer, 
brought  the  fugitive  and  the  procureur  de  roi  together  at 
dinner.  The  magistrate  who  had  within  his  grasp  a  splen- 
did opportunity  for  promotion,  had  no  suspicion  whatever 
of  his  agreeable  convive.  At  the  close  of  the  evening,  the 
friend  carried  off  his  guest  in  a  gig,  conducted  him  to  the 
frontier,  and  gave  him  over  to  the  care  of  a  smuggler,  whom 
they  had  bribed,  and  who  took  him  safely  across  the 
custom-house  lines. 


MONSIEUR  RUFIN  PIOTROWSKI. 
1846. 

OF  all  the  innumerable  victims  transported  during  the  last 
century  by  the  Russian  government  to  Siberia,  two  alone 
were  able  to  escape  from  that  dreadful  place;  their  names  are 
Beniowski,  whose  escape  we  have  already  related,  and  M. 
Piotrovvski.  If,  on  one  side,  the  adventures  of  the  Hun- 
garian magnate  are  as  full  of  interest  as  any  novel,  on  the 
other,  the  simple  story  of  the  modest  and  intrepid  Polish 
soldier  inspires  one  with  quite  a  different  feeling.  There 
we  have  all  the  emotion  excited  by  a  pompous  show  j  here 
the  hidden  drama,  the  laceration  of  every  fibre  of  a  heart 
tortured  by  slow  and  almost  secret  anguish.  Beniowski,  as 
a  general  and  a  prisoner  of  war,  was  treated  according  to 
his  rank,  and  even  among  exiles  was  allowed  a  certain 
liberty  and  the  privileges  of  his  order.  Piotrowski,  the 
veteran  warrior  of  1831,  being  only  the  simple  emissary  of 
his  exiled  countrymen  in  France,  was  sent  to  Siberia, 
thrown  into  a  convict's  den,  and  forced  to  obey  the  orders  of 


260  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

a  scoundrel  himself  condemned  for  theft.  The  half-savage 
population  of  the  country  gave  the  infamous  appellation  of 
"  Varnak,"  as  well  to  the  noble  Pole  transported  for  patriot- 
ism, as  to  the  vilest  forger  and  assassin.  Rurin  Piotrowski 
is  in  fact  the  Silvio  Pellico  of  Poland.  The  book  of  Silvio 
Pellico  raised  against  Austria  the  indignation  of  all  civilized 
nations.  Beaten  at  Solferino,  annihilated  at  Saclowa,  the 
jailors  of  Spielberg  have  nowhere  met  a  look  of  pity.  The 
"  Memoirs  of  a  Siberian  "  are  a  terrible  witness  against  the 
jailors  of  Siberia. 

M.  Piotrowski  being  sent  to  Russia  by  the  Polish  Emi- 
gration Society,  went  in  1843  to  Kamieniec,  in  Podolia, 
under  the  supposed  name  and  title  of  Catharo,  an  English 
subject.  He  had  remained  there  about  nine  months  as  a 
professor  of  languages,  when  he  was  recognised  as  a  Pole, 
arrested,  and  condemned  to  hard  labour  in  Siberia.  Trans- 
ported in  1844  to  the  place  of  his  exile,  he  was  sent  to  the 
distillery  of  Ekaterininski-Zavod,  three  hundred  kilometres 
north  of  Omsk,  and  for  a  year  was  obliged  to  perform  the 
hardest  and  most  repulsive  labour.  A  word  or  sign  on  his 
part,  or  only  a  fit  of  ill  temper  on  the  part  of  those  over 
him,  would  have  exposed  him  to  the  bastinado  or  the 
knout ;  but  being  resolved  on  suffering  everything  rather 
than  be  struck,  and  cherishing  always  in  his  heart  the 
hope  of  escape,  he  learnt  to  control  himself  sufficiently  to 
show  great  docility,  and  a  constant  care  to  do  thoroughly 
the  work  imposed  on  him.  He  so  succeeded  by  this 
means  in  raising  himself,  that  he  was  allowed  to  enter  the 
distillery.  "  My  office,"  said  he,  "  was  the  rendezvous 
for  many  travellers  who  came  either  for  the  sale  of  grains 
or  for  the  purchase  of  spirits ;  peasants,  townspeople, 
tradesmen,  Russians,  Tartars,  Jews,  and  Kirghis.  Of 


MONSIEUR   RUKIN    PIOTROWSKI.  369 

passing  strangers  I  inquired  with  a  curiosity  that  never 
flagged  concerning  Siberia.  I  talked  with  men  who  had 
been,  some  to  Berezov,  others  to  Nertchinsk,  to  the  fron- 
tiers of  China,  to  Kamtschatka,  among  the  steppes  of 
Kirghis,  and  in  Bokhara,  so  that  without  leaving  my  office  I 
learned  to  know  Siberia  intimately.  This  acquired  know- 
ledge was  in  the  future  of  immense  use  to  me  in  my  plan  of 
escape.  A  circumstance  that  much  softened  my  fate  was 
the  permission  I  obtained  from  the  inspector  to  leave  the 
barracks;  by  this  means  I  was  able  to  quit  the  ordinary 
dwelling-place  of  the  convicts,  and  live  with  two  of  my 
countrymen  in  a  house  belonging  to  Siesicki. 

"  This  man  had  suceeded  little  by  little  in  building  for 
himself  a  small  wood  cabin ;  thanks  to  his  long  stay  at 
Ekaterininski-Zavod,  and  to  the  savings  made  out  of  his 
small  pay.  The  house  was  not  yet  completed;  in  fact 
there  was  then  no  roof,  but  we  nevertheless  carried  in  our 
goods  and  chattels.  The  wind  entered  by  every  crack,  but 
wood  costing  very  little,  we  lit  a  large  fire  on  the  hearth 
every  night.  In  spite  of  these  inconveniences,  we  felt  our- 
selves at  home,  and  were  relieved  of  the  disagreeable  com- 
panionship of  the  convicts ;  the  soldiers  alone,  whom  we 
had  to  pay,  never  leaving  us.  We  spent  the  long  winter 
evenings  in  thinking  about  those  dear  to  us,  and  even  in 
making  plans  for  the  future.  Ah,  if  that  house  still  exists, 
and  if  it  shelters  some  unfortunate  exiled  brother,  let  him 
remember  he  is  not  the  first  who  has  wept  in  it,  and  invoked 
his  absent  country !  I  had  quickly  risen  from  the  lowest  to 
the  highest  degree  which  a  convict  of  our  establishment  on 
the  banks  of  the  Irtiche  could  attain.  In  1846,  I  could 
almost  fancy  myself  a  simple  recruit,  banished  to  distant 
shores,  and  under  an  inclement  sky.  How  different  was 


270  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

this  to  that  terrible  winter  of  1844,  when  I  swept  out 
gutters,  carried  or  split  wood,  and  lived  under  the  same  roof 
with  the  scum  of  humanity !  How  many  of  my  brethren, 
alas !  were  now  groaning  in  the  mines  of  Nertchinsk  !  How 
many  even  who  had  been  condemned  to  a  less  severe 
punishment  than  mine,  would  have  thought  themselves 
happy  in  my  position,  though  I  had  resolved  on  flying  from 
it  even  at  the  risk  of  the  knout,  and  the  mysterious  dun- 
geons of  Akatouia  ! 

"  In  1845,  the  Emperor  Nicholas  had  issued  a  decree,  by 
which  the  situation  of  those  exiled  to  Siberia  was  con- 
siderably aggravated.  Commissions  visited  the  penitentiary 
establishments  with  the  object  of  proposing  new  measures 
of  severity.  The  forced  residence  of  all  the  convicts  in 
the  barracks  was  the  first  point  conceded  to  the  suspicious 
despotism  of  the  czar.  All  this  necessarily  made  me  persist 
in  a  plan  conceived  long  ago. 

"During  the  summer  of  1845,  I  had  already  made  two 
attempts,  rather  hasty  and  thoughtless  ones,  and  both  hav- 
ing the  same  result,  though  neither,  fortunately,  creating  any 
suspicions.  In  the  month  of  June  I  had  noticed  a  small 
skiff  often  left  by  carelessness  on  the  banks  of  the  river ;  I 
had  thought  of  using  this  skiff  to  carry  me  down  the  river  to 
Tobolsk  ;  but  scarcely  had  I  loosed  the  boat,  one  dark 
night,  and  rowed  a  little  way,  when  the  moon  shone  out, 
lighting  the  country  most  dangerously,  and  at  the  same 
time  I  heard  from  the  shore  the  voice  of  the  inspector  who 
was  walking  with  some  employe's.  I  landed  with  as  little 
noise  as  possible,  thinking  how  fruitless  that  attempt  had 
proved.  The  following  month  I  perceived  that  the  same 
boat  had  been  left  in  a  more  advantageous  place,  on  a  lake 
leading,  by  a  canal  and  the  Irtiche,  to  a  rather  distant  point 


MONSIEUR    RUFIN    PIOTROWSKI.  271 

of  our  establishment.  A  phenomenon  pretty  frequent  on  the 
waters  of  Siberia  during  this  season  formed  an  insurmount- 
able barrier  to  this  second  attempt  of  mine.  Caused  by 
the  sudden  chill  of  the  air  at  nightfall,  there  rise  from  the 
earth  great  columns  of  vapour,  so  thick  as  to  make  even 
the  nearest  things  quite  indistinguishable.  It  was  in  vain 
that  I  kept  pushing  my  boat  in  all  directions  during  the 
long  mortal  hours  of  that  night  of  anxiety;  the  fog  prevented 
my  finding  the  canal  which  would  have  led  me  to  the 
Irtiche.  It  was  only  at  day-break  that  I  at  last  discovered 
the  long-sought  issue,  but  it  was  already  too  late  to  proceed, 
so  I  returned  home,  rejoiced  to  be  able  to  do  that  without 
mishap.  From  that  time  I  gave  up  all  thought  of  flight  by 
the  inclement  waves  of  the  Irtiche,  and  began  in  earnest  to 
ripen  my  first  plan  of  escape." 

After  long  and  due  meditation  on  all  the  different  and 
possible  ways  of  quitting  the  Russian  empire,  he  resolved 
on  effecting  his  escape  by  the  north,  the  Oural  Mountains, 
the  steppe  of  Petchora,  and  Archangel. 

"  Slowly  and  with  great  difficulty  I  collected  the  necessary 
things  for  a  journey,  the  first  and  chief  of  which  was  a  pass- 
port. There  are  two  kinds  of  passports  for  the  Siberians; 
one  being  a  sort  of  pass  ticket,  granted  for  a  very  limited 
time,  and  for  places  not  far  distant  from  each  other;  the 
other  being  a  much  more  important  document,  given  by  the 
high  authorities  on  stamped  paper.  I  succeeded  in  forging 
both.  I  managed  slowly  also  to  get  the  clothes  and  other 
things  necessary  for  my  disguise.  I  endeavoured  to  trans- 
form myself  into  a  native,  'a  man  of  Siberia'  (Sibirski 
tchelovieck),  as  they  say  in  Russia.  Ever  since  my  de- 
parture from  Kiow,  I  had  purposely  allowed  my  beard  to 
grow,  and  it  had  then  reached  quite  a  respectable  nr.cl 


272  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

orthodox  length.  By  great  perseverance,  I  also  became  pos- 
sessor of  a  wig, — a  Siberian  wig,  that  is  a  wig  made  of  sheep- 
skin turned  inside  out.  Thanks  to  these  various  means, 
'I  was  pretty  sure  of  not  being  recognised.  I  had  also  180 
roubles  (about  200  francs)  left,  a  small  enough  sum  for  so 
long  a  journey,  and  which  was  destined  by  a  fatal  accident 
to  become  still  much  smaller.  I  was  in  no  way  blind  to  the 
difficulties  of  my  enterprise,  nor  to  the  many  dangers  to 
which  I  was  exposed  at  each  step.  One  thing  alone  sus- 
tained me,  and  while  aggravating  my  situation,  at  all  events 
eased  my  conscience :  it  was  the  oath  I  had  sworn  to  myself 
never  to  reveal  my  secret  to  any  one  till  I  was  in  a  free 
country ;  to  ask  neither  help,  nor  protection,  nor  advice  of 
any  living  being,  so  long  as  I  had  not  passed  the  limits  of 
the  czar's  empire ;  and  rather  to  give  up  my  own  liberty 
than  to  endanger  any  one  of  my  brethren.  I  might  have 
brought  my  own  sad  fate  on  many  of  my  poor  countrymen 
by  my  stay  at  Kamieniec,  when  I  imagined  I  was  fulfilling 
a  mission  of  general  interest.  Now,  my  own  personal 
safety  was  the  only  thing  in  question,  there rore  I  ought  to 
look  to  none  but  myself.  God  gave  me  grace  to  keep 
this  resolution  to  the  last,  which  after  all,  was  simply  an 
honest  one ;  and  who  knows  that  it  is  not  in  consideration 
of  this  oath,  which  I  swore  on  the  outset  of  my  attempt, 
that  He  has  always  stretched  over  me  His  protecting  arm ! 

^  About  the  end  of  January,  1846,  I  had  finished  my 
preparations,  and  the  opportunity  seemed  all  the  more 
favourable  to  me  from  the  fact  of  it  being  near  the  time 
for  the  large  fair  of  Irbite,  at  the  foot  of  the  Oural  Moun- 
tains,— one  of  those  fairs  only  seen  in  eastern  Russia.  I 
thought  I  should  be  lost  among  such  a  migration  of  people, 
and  hastened  to  profit  by  the  occasion 


MONSIEUR    RUFIN    PIOTROWSKI.  273 

"  On  the  8th  February,  I  started.  I  had  on  three  shirts, 
one  of  which,  a  coloured  one,  was  put  over  the  trousers  of 
thick  cloth,  and  over  all,  a  small  burnous  (armiack)  of 
sheepskin,  well  greased  with  tallow,  and  coming  down  to 
my  knees.  Large  riding  boots,  well  tarred,  completed  my 
costume.  Around  my  waist  I  wore  a  large  sash  of  white, 
red,  and  black  wool,  and  on  my  wig  a  round  cap  of  red 
velvet,  trimmed  with  fur,  such  as  is  worn  by  a  well-to-do 
peasant  of  Siberia  on  holidays,  or  by  a  travelling  merchant.  I 
was  moreover  well  wrapped  in  a  large  pelisse,  the  collar  of 
which  being  turned  up  and  fastened  by  a  handkerhief  tied 
round  it,  had  as  much  the  effect  of  keeping  out  the  cold  as 
of  hiding  my  face.  A  small  bag  which  I  carried  contained 
a  second  pair  of  boots,  a  fourth  shirt,  a  pair  of  blue  summer 
trousers,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  country,  some 
bread  and  some  dried  fish.  In  the  leg  of  the  right  boot,  I 
had  concealed  a  large  dagger.  The  money,  which  was  in 
notes  of  five  or  ten  roubles,  I  placed  in  my  waistcoat,  and 
in  my  hands,  which  were  covered  with  large  skin  gloves, 
with  the  hair  outside,  I  carried  a  formidable,  knotty  stick. 

"  So  rigged  out,  at  night  I  quitted  the  establishment  of 
Ekaterininski-Zavod,  by  a  small  by-path.  It  froze  very  hard, 
and  the  flying  sleet  glistened  in  the  moonbeams.  I  had 
soon  passed  my  Rubicon,  the  Irtiche,  and  hurrying  rapidly 
forward,  I  took  the  road  to  Tara,  a  village  twelve  kilometres 
distant  from  my  place  of  detention.  'Winter  nights,'  I 
thought  to  myself,  '  are  very  long  in  Siberia :  how  far  can  I 
go  lefore  day-break,  and  before  my  escape  is  signalled? 
What  will  become  of  me  afterwards?' 

"  I  had  scarcely  passed  the  Irtiche,  when  I  heard  behind 
me  the  sound  of  a  sleigh.  I  shivered,  but  resolved  on 
waiting  for  the  nocturnal  traveller,  and,  as  it  has  happened 

T 


274  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

to  me  more  than  once  during  my  dangerous  peregrination, 
what  I  most  dreaded  as  a  peril,  became  a  quite  unexpected 
means  of  escape. 

"  On  the  peasant  asking  me  where  I  was  going,  I  replied 
« To  Tara.' 

" '  Where  are  you  from  ?' 

"  <  The  village  of  Zalivina.' 

" '  Give  me  sixty  kopeks  (ten  sous),  and  I  will  take  you 
to  Tara,  where  I  am  going  myself.' 

"  •'  No,  it 's  too  much ;  fifty  kopeks  if  you  like.' 

"  '  Very  well ;  get  up  at  once.' 

"  I  took  my  place  next  to  him;  we  started  at  a  gallop,  and 
in  half  an  hour  were  at  Tara.  Left  alone,  I  asked,  accord- 
ing to  the  Russian  custom,  at  the  first  house  I  saw,  if  I 
could  get  any  horses. 

"'Where  for?' 

" '  For  the  fair  at  Irbite.' 

" '  There  are  some.' 

"'A  pair?' 

" '  Yes,  a  pair.' 

" '  How  much  the  verst?' 

"'Eight  kopeks.' 

" '  I  wont  give  so  much.  Six  kopeks.  What  do  you 
say  to  that?' 

"  '  Very  well,  then.' 

In  a  short  time  the  horses  were  ready  and  harnessed  to 
the  sleigh. 

" '  And  where  are  you  from  ?'  was  asked  of  me. 

"'From  Tomsk.  I  am  the  employe  of  N.  (I  gave  the 
first  name  that  occurred  to  me) ;  my  master  has  gone  on 
before  me  to  Irbite.  I  had  to  stay  behind  for  some  small 
matters,  and  am  horribly  late;  I  fear  he  will  be  angry.  It 


MONSIEUR   RUFIN    PIOTROWSKI.  275 

you  will  take  me  there  quickly,  I  will  give  you  something 
more  for  yourself.' 

"The  peasant  whistled,  and  the  horses  started  like 
arrows.  All  at  once  the  clouds  gathered,  the  snow  began 
to  fall  thickly,  and  the  peasant  lost  his  way,  and  after 
wandering  about  a  good  deal,  we  were  obliged  to  halt,  and 
pass 'the  night  in  the  forest.  I  pretended  to  be  greatly 
enraged,  and  my  guide  humbly  begged  my  forgiveness.  It 
would  be  impossible  to  describe  the  terrible  anxiety  of  that 
night,  spent  in  a  sleigh  in  the  midst  of  a  snowstorm, 
scarcely  four  miles  distant  from  Ekaterininski-Zavod,  and 
expecting  every  minute  to  hear  the  bells  of  the  kibitkas  sent 
in  pursuit  of  me.  At  last  the  day  began  to  dawn. 

"  '  We  will  return  to  Tara,'  I  said  to  the  peasant,  '  where 
I  shall  engage  another  sleigh..  As  for  you,  fool,  you  may 
expect  nothing.  I  will  take  care,  moreover,  to  give  you  up 
to  the  police  for  making  me  waste  my  time.'  The  poor 
peasant,  quite  ashamed,  started  to  return  to  Tara,  but  scarcely 
had  he  gone  a  verst,  when  he  stopped,  looked  round,  and 
showing  the  vestige  of  a  pathway  under  the  drifts  of  snow, 
said,  '  That  is  the  road  we  should  have  taken  ! '  '  Follow 
it  then,'  I  said,  'and  God  speed  us.'  He  then  did  his 
utmost  to  make  up  for  lost  time.  A  most  horrible  idea  struck 
me  just  then ;  I  remembered  how  our  unhappy  Colonel 
Wysocki  was,  like  me,  detained  in  the  forest  for  a  whole 
night,  and  was  given  up  to  the  gendarmes  by  his  guide. 
Vain  terrors  !  The  peasant  took  me  to  a  friend's  house, 
where  I  managed  to  get  tea  and  some  fresh  horses.  So  I 
went  on,  changing  my  hdrses  at  very  moderate  prices ;  when 
having  arrived  late  one  night  at  a  village  called  SoldatskaTa, 
and  not  having  sufficient  money  to  pay  my  guide,  I  went 
with  him  to  an  inn  filled  with  a  number  of  drunken  wretches. 

T  2 


:%7O  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

T  had  taken  from  under  my  waistcoat  a  few  notes,  intending 
to  have  one  or  two  changed  by  the  landlord,  when  a  move- 
ment of  the  crowd,  done  purposely  or  not,  I  cannot  tell, 
pushed  me  from  the  table  where  I  had  spread  my  papers, 
which  were  quickly  seized  by  some  clever  hand.  In  vain  I 
made  my  loss  known  :  I  never  could  discover  the  thief,  nor 
seriously  think  of  calling  in  the  gendarmes ;  so  I  resigned 
myself  to  my  misfortune.  I  was  in  that  manner  deprived  of 
forty-five  roubles  in  notes;  but  what  greatly  increased  my 
regrets,  and  even  my  terror,  was  the  fact  that  the  thief  had 
taken  at  the  same  time  two  papers  of  the  greatest  worth  to 
me :  a  small  sheet  on  which  I  had  inscribed  the  towns  and 
villages  I  must  pass  through  on  my  way  to  Archangel,  and 
my  passport,  the  one  on  stamped  paper,  the  making  of  which 
had  cost  me  so  much  pains.  Thus  at  the  outset  I  lost  almost 
a  quarter  of  the  modest  allowance  for  my  journey,  the  note 
that  was  to  have  been  my  guide,  and  the  only  paper  capable 
of  satisfying  any  curious  people.  I  was  in  despair." 

Still  the  fugitive  was  obliged  to  go  on  :  each  step  taken 
brought  him  nearer  to  freedom  ;  but  whether  he  was  taken  at 
only  a  few  miles'  distance  from  the  place  of  his  exile,  or  on  the 
Russian  frontier,  his  fate  would  be  the  same.  Lost  in  the  im- 
mense morass  which  covered  the  road  to  Irbite  he  did  not 
reach  the  gates  of  that  town,  till  the  third  day  of  his  escape, 
having  travelled,  thanks  to  the  celerity  of  sleigh-riding,  1000 
kilometers  since  his  departure  from  Ekaterininski-Zavod. 

"  '  Halt,  and  show  your  passport ! '  shouted  the  sentinel ; 
fortunately  he  added  in  a  low  tone,  '  Give  me  twenty  kopeks, 
and  be  off  with  you.'  I  yielded  with  great  satisfaction  to  the 
exigenciesof  the  law  so  opportunely  modified  in  my  favour." 

Having  passed  one  night  at  Irbite,  M.  Piotrowski  hastened 
to  leave  it  next  morning ;  but  the  expenses  of  his  journey, 


MONSIEUR    RUFIN    P1OTKOWSKJ.  277 

and  his  losses  by  theft  having  reduced  his  purse  to  seventy- 
five  roubles  (about  eighty  francs),  he  could  only  proceed  on 
foot 

"  The  winter  of  1846  was  extremely  severe  ;  still  on  the 
morning  I  left  Irbite  the  atmosphere  softened,  but  then  the 
snow  fell  so  thickly  that  it  quite  obscured  the  light.  Walking 
became  almost  impossible  among  these  white  masses,  which 
grew  higher  and  thicker  at  every  step.  About  midday  the  sky 
cleared  a  little,  and  my  journey  grew  easier.  I  generally 
avoided  villages,  if  possible;  but  when  I  found  myself  obliged 
to  cross  one,  I  went  straight  along  as  if  I  belonged  to  the 
neighbourhood,  and  needed  no  directions.  Only  at  the  last 
house  of  a  hamlet  did  I  venture  sometimes  to  ask  a  few 
questions,  and  then  not  until  I  had  great  doubt  as  to  which 
road  I  was  to  take.  When  I  felt  hungry,  I  took  from  my  bag 
a  piece  of  frozen  bread,  and  ate  it  while  walking,  or  sitting  at 
the  foot  of  a  tree  in  some  retired  spot  in  the  forest.  To  appease 
my  thirst  I  looked  eagerly  out  for  the  holes  made  in  the  ice 
by  the  people  of  the  country  to  water  their  cattle.  I  was 
sometimes  obliged  to  content  myself  with  letting  snow  melt 
in  my  mouth,  although  that  means  was  far  from  satisfactory. 

"  My  first  day's  march  after  leaving  Irbite  was  very  hard, 
and  at  night  I  found  myself  quite  worn  out.  The  heavy 
clothes  I  wore  added  to  my  fatigue,  and  still  I  did  not  dare 
throw  them  off.  At  nightfall  I  ran  to  the  thickest  part  of 
the  forest  and  began  to  prepare  my  bed.  I  knew  the 
method  used  by  the  Ostiakes  to  shelter  themselves  in  their 
deserts  of  ice ;  they  simply  hollow  out  a  deep  hole  under  a 
great  heap  of  snow,  and  in  that  way  find  abed — a  hard  one 
in  truth,  but  a  good  warm  one.  I  did  the  same,  and  soon 
found  the  repose  of  which  I  stood  greatly  in  need." 

On  the  morrow  he  lost  his  way,  and  after  wandering  about 


278  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

almost  the  whole  of  the  day,  he  found  himself  at  nightfall 
on  a  road  which  fortunately  happened  to  be  the  right  one. 
Seeing  a  small  house  not  far  from  a  hamlet,  he  resolved  on 
asking  shelter  there  :  it  was  not  denied  him.  He  gave  him- 
self out  for  a  workman  seeking  employment  in  the  iron 
works  of  Bohotole,  in  the  Oural.  He  played  his  part  to  the 
best  of  his  ability,  but  was  thought  to  be  too  well  clothed 
and  furnished  with  linen  for  a  workman,  and  was  woke  from 
his  first  sleep  by  peasants  asking  for  his  passport.  With  the 
greatest  coolness  he  showed  them  the  pass  ticket,  the  only 
one  he  had  left ;  fortunately  the  sight  of  the  seal  was  suffi- 
cient for  these  self-appointed  gendarmes,  who  begged  his 
pardon  for  having  taken  him  for  an  escaped  convict. 

"  The  rest  of  the  night  I  spent  very  quietly,  and  the  next 
day  took  leave  of  tho^e  whose  hospitality  was  so  near  grow- 
ing fatal  to  me.  This  incident  carried  a  sad  conviction  to 
my  mind  that  I  could  never  ask  shelter  for  the  night  of  any 
human  being  without  exposing  myself  to  the  greatest  risks, 
and  the  Ostiake  bed  must  be,  until  further  notice,  my  only 
place  of  repose.  I  had,  in  short,  to  put  up  with  this  Ostiake 
style  of  sleeping  during  the  whole  of  the  time  I  was  cross- 
ing from  the  Oural  mountains  to  Veliki-Oustioug ;  that  is, 
from  the  middle  of  February  to  the  beginning  of  April. 
Three  or  four  times  only  dared  I  beg  hospitality  for  the 
night  in  some  isolated  hut,  worn  out  by  fifteen  or  twenty 
days'  march  in  the  forest,  almost  exhausted,  and  scarcely 
knowing  what  I  did.  Every  other  night  I  was  satisfied  with 
digging  out  a  hole  to  lie  in,  and  by  degrees  became  accus- 
tomed to  that  way  of  sleeping.  Sometimes  at  nightfall  I 
even  found  myself  going  towards  the  thick  part  of  the  wood, 
as  to  a  well-known  inn ;  at  other  times  I  confess  this  savage 
kind  of  life  became  intolerable  to  me.  The  absence  of  any 


The  sight  of  the  seal  was  sufficient. 


MONSIEUR    RUFIN    PIOTROW;.;.!.  279 

human  habitation,  the  want  of  hot  food,  and  even  of  frozen 
bread,  my  only  nourishment  for  whole  days  sometimes,  made 
me  face  in  all  their  terrible  reality  those  two  hideous  spectres 
called  cold  and  hunger.  In  moments  like  these  I  dreaded 
specially  the  fits  of  drowsiness  that  suddenly  came  over  me, 
for  they  were  evident  invitations  to  death,  against  which  I 
fought  with  the  little  strength  I  had  left.  And  now  and 
then  the  craving  for  hot  food  became  so  strong  in  me,  that 
it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  I  resisted  the  temptation 
of  begging  in  some  hut  for  a  few  spoonfuls  of  the  root 
soup  of  Siberia, 

After  slowly  climbing  the  heights  of  the  Ourals,  he  at  last 
crossed  them  on  a  fine  night;  but  his  troubles  were  precisely 
the  same  on  the  western  side  of  the  mountains.  On  one  oc- 
casion, during  a  snowstorm  he  lost  his  way,  passed  a  horrible 
night  in  the  agonies  of  hunger,  and  at  daybreak,  while  trying 
to  find  the  path,  he  fell  exhausted  at  the  foot  of  a  tree.  The 
sleep,  which  in  these  regions  is  the  forerunner  of  death,  had 
already  fallen  on  him,  when  he  was  saved  by  a  trapper  who 
was  crossing  the  forest.  This  kind  man  gave  him  a  little 
brandy  and  a  few  mouthfuls  of  bread,  told  him  to  take  heart, 
pointed  out  to  him  a  house  of  refuge,  and  disappeared  in 
the  woods. 

"  When  I  saw  the  house  in  the  distance,  my  joy  was 
beyond  all  description ;  I  would  have  gone  to  it,  I  think, 
even  had  I  known  it  to  be  full  of  gendarmes.  I  got  as  far 
as  the  door;  but  no  sooner  had  I  crossed  the  threshold, 
than  I  fell  down  and  rolled  under  a  wooden  bench." 

After  a  few  minutes  of  complete  insensibility,  he  came  to 
himself,  and  not  being  able  to  touch  the  food  offered  him  by 
his  host,  he  fell  into  a  sleep  which  lasted  twenty-four  hours; 
kindly  taken  care  of  all  the  while  by  the  landlord,  who 


2 So  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

became  doubly  attentive  when  he  found  the  traveller  to  be 
a  pilgrim  going  to  the  holy  island  of  the  White  Sea.  That 
was  the  character  taken  by  the  fugitive  ;  he  had  transformed 
himself  into  a  bohomolds  (worshipper  of  God)  going  to  salute 
the  holy  images  of  the  convent  of  Solovetsk,  near  Archangel 
Protected  by  the  respect  and  sympathy  with  which  this  title 
inspires  a  Russian  peasant,  M.  Piotrowski  managed,  without 
much  trouble,  to  get  to  Veliki-Oustioug,  and  was  well 
received  there  by  his  brethren  the  bohomolcts,  who  were  wait- 
ing in  large  numbers  in  that  town  for  the  thaw  which  would 
permit  them  to  embark  on  the  Dwina  for  Archangel.  After 
a  month's  stay  in  the  midst  of  them,  during  which  he  esta- 
blished his  reputation  as  a  good  pilgrim  by  the  punctuality 
with  which  he  performed  all  his  duties,  he  embarked  on  one 
of  the  many  boats  collected  for  that  special  service,  and  hired 
himself  to  the  captain  as  a  rower  during  the  crossing,  for  the 
usual  sum  of  fifteen  roubles  in  notes,  that  sum  being  exactly 
what  he  had  spent  during  his  journey  from  Irbite.  About  a 
fortnight  after  his  arrival  at  Veliki-Oustioug,  he  landed  at 
Archangel,  the  point  on  which  all  his  expectations  were 
centred ;  for  he  hoped  that  in  the  port,  which  was  much 
frequented  by  ships  of  all  nations,  he  should  find  one  vessel 
that  would  bring  him  over  to  France  or  England.  Without 
neglecting  the  religious  duties  which  the  title  of  pilgrim 
imposed  on  him,  nor  the  precautions  the  neglect  of  which 
might  endanger  him,  he  sought  in  vain  during  two  long 
days  for  this  saviour  ship.  On  the  deck  of  each  vessel 
stood,  night  and  day,  a  Russian  sentinel ;  and  along  the 
whole  length  of  the  quays,  to  be  able  to  cross  the  line  of 
sentinels,  it  was  necessary  to  give  explanations  and  papers, 
a  demand  which  the  fugitive  could  not  dream  of  subjecting 
himself  to.  Relinquishing  then,  not  without  grief,  his  long 


MONSIEUR   RUFIN    PIOTROVVSKI.  281 

cherished  hopes,  he  took  the  road  to  One'ga,  as  a  pilgrim 
who  having  visited  the  holy  images  of  Solovetsk,  was  going 
to  Kiow  "to  salute  the  sacred  bones."  After  many 
adventures,  more  or  less  agreeable,  he  arrived  at  Vytiegra. 
He  was  accosted  on  the  quay  by  a  peasant  who  asked  him 
where  he  was  going,  and  proposed  to  take  him  in  his  boat 
to  St  Petersburg.  He  engaged  himself  to  the  man  as 
a  rower,  and  on  the  passage  had  occasion  to  render  some 
services  to  a  poor  old  peasant  woman  also  going  to  St. 
Petersburg.  On  entering  the  harbour  the  unhappy  fugitive 
felt  great  anxiety  as  to  how  he  could  avoid  the  police  on 
landing,  and  where  he  should  lodge,  etc.  All  at  once  his 
protege,  the  old  peasant  woman,  said,  "  Stay  near  me.  My 
daughter,  who  knows  of  my  arrival,  is  coming  to  meet 
me,  and  will  find  you  a  good  lodging-house."  He  landed, 
and  carrying  the  old  woman's  trunk,  went  to  the  same  inn 
with  her.  There  still  remained  the  difficulty  about  the 
passport  and  police.  He  much  feared  that  his  hostess  would 
prove  exacting  on  this  point  j  but,  on  being  questioned  by 
him  as  to  the  formalities  to  be  gone  through,  she  said,  he 
need  not  trouble  to  call  on  the  police  for  two  or  three  days. 
Being  easy  on  this  score,  he  went  the  next  day  towards  the 
harbour,  furtively  scanning  as  he  walked, — for  a  Russian 
peasant  ought  not  to  know  how  to  read, — the  advertise- 
ments on  many  steam  packets  announcing  the  time  of  their 
departure. 

"  All  at  once  my  eyes  fell  on  an  announcement  in  large 
letters  placed  near  the  mast  of  one  of  the  steamers,  to  the 
effect  that  this  ship  was  to  leave  for  Riga  the  next  day.  I 
saw  a  man  walking  on  the  deck  with  his  red  shirt  worn 
over  his  trousers,  d  la  Russc,  but  not  daring  to  speak  to 
him,  I  remained  satisfied  with  devouring  him  with  my  eyes. 


282  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES". 

I  n  the  meantime  the  sun  went  down  ;  it  was  already  seven 
in  the  evening,  when  suddenly  the  man  with  the  red  shirt 
raised  his  head,  and  called  to  me  : — 

"  '  Do  you  happen  to  want  to  go  to  Riga?  If  you  do, 
come  here.' 

"  'I  do  certainly  want  to  go  ;  but  what  means  has  a  poor 
man  like  me  of  taking  the  steamboat  ?  It  must  cost  a  great 
deal,  and  is  not  for  such  as  I  am.' 

"  'And  why  not  come?  We  won't  ask  much  from  a  moiijik 
like  you.' 

"'  How  much?' 

"  He  mentioned  some  price  which  I  do  not  quite  re- 
member now,  but  which  astonished  me — it  was  so  small. 

"  '  Well,  does  that  suit  you  ?     Why  do  you  still  hesitate  ? ' 

"  'Why,  I  have  only  just  arrived  to-day,  and  I  must  have 
my  passport  looked  to  by  the  police.' 

'"Oh,  your  police  will  detain  you  three  days,  and  the 
boat  starts  to-morrow  morning.' 

"'What's  to  be  done?' 

" '  Why,  start  without  having  it  looked  at.' 

"  '  Yes  ;  and  if  some  misfortune  happened  to  me?' 

"  'Fool !  you,  a  moujik,  teach  me  what  I  have  to  do !  Have 
you  got  your  passport  with  you?  Show  it.' 

"I  pulled  from  my  pocket  my  pass-ticket,  carefully 
wrapped  in  a  silk  handkerchief,  after  the  fashion  of  all  the 
Russian  peasants ;  but  he  spared  himself  the  trouble  of 
looking  at  it,  and  said, — 

"  '  Come  to-morrow  morning  at  seven  ;  and  if  you  don't 
see  me,  wait  for  me.  Now,  be  off  with  you.'' 

"  I  joyfully  returned  home,  and  the  next  morning  was  punc- 
tual at  the  rendezvous.  The  man  soon  perceived  me,  but 
only  said,  '  Give  me  the  money  ! '  He  went  off,  but  immedi- 


MONSIEUR    RUFIN    PIOTROWSKI.  28^ 

a  Ay  returned,  bringing  me  a  yellow  ticket,  which  of  course 
I  pretended  not  to  know  anything  about :  a  circumstance 
which  occasioned  another  gracious  observation, — '  Hold  your 
tongue  motijik,  and  don't  trouble  yourself.'  The  bell  rang 
three  times,  the  passengers  crowded  together,  a  rough  blow 
from  my  companion  drove  me  after  them,  and  the  ship  was 
in  full  motion.  I  thought  I  was  in  a  dream. 

From  Riga,  M.  Piotrowski,  still  travelling  on  foot,  soon 
reached  the  frontier  without  difficulty.  He  had  slightly 
modified  his  costume,  but  still  kept  the  distinct  garment  of  a 
Russian — the  little  bornous  of  sheepskin.  He  called  him- 
self a  pork  merchant,  which  allowed  of  his  asking  on  the 
road  all  necessary  information.  Having  once  ascertained  all 
the  obstacles  he  could  possibly  encounter  on  his  way  from 
Russia  to  Prussia,  he  succeeded  in  crossing  the  frontier  in 
open  daylight,  in  spite  of  the  shots  fired  at  him  ;  and  taking 
refuge  in  a  wood,  where  he  cut  off  his  beard,  and  transformed 
his  costume,  leaving  behind  him  all  the  signs  of  a  Russian 
peasant,  he  arrived  at  last  at  Kcenigsberg.  But  when  he 
thought  himself  all  but  saved,  a  circumstance  occurred  that 
nearly  proved  his  ruin.  He  had  resolved  on  journeying  by 
steamer  to  Elbing,  and  towards  evening  he  sat  down  on  some 
ruins,  thinking  of  going  at  nightfall  in  the  fields  to  sleep  on 
some  hay,  while  waiting  the  time  for  departure ;  but,  quite 
tired  out,  he  fell  asleep,  and  was  woke  by  a  night  guard,  who, 
not  satisfied  with  his  answers,  took  him  to  the  first  police- 
station.  He  at  once  volunteered  the  statement  that  he  was 
a  French  workman,  who  had  lost  his  passport,  but  he  was 
put  in  prison.  A  month  afterwards  he  was  called  again  before 
the  police,  his  statements  were  proved  to  be  false,  and  he  was 
clearly  allowed  to  see  that  the  grossest  suspicions  were  afloat 
concerning  him.  Tired  of  concealment,  and  especially  irri- 


284  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

tated  at  being  taken  for  a  malefactor  in  hiding,  he  at  last  de- 
clared himself.  A  recent  treaty  between  Prussia  and  Russia 
obliged  these  two  countries  mutually  to  give  up  their  fugitives- 
The  Prussian  authorities  on  hearing  the  declaration  of  M.  Pio- 
trowski,  were  mute  with  consternation  ;  thinking  it  quite 
impossible  to  elude  the  convention.  But  steps  were  taken 
by  the  principal  inhabitants  of  Kcenigsberg,  and  by  many 
persons  of  high  rank,  which  Government  itself  evidently 
shrank  from  opposing.  M.  Piotrowski  soon  after  was  in- 
formed that  an  order  had  come  from  Berlin,  enjoining  his 
being  given  up  to  the  Russians,  but  that  time  would  be  al- 
lowed him  to  escape  at  his  own  risk  ;  and  by  the  help  of  his 
generous  friends,  he  was  next  day  on  his  road  to  Dantzic. 
"I  had,  he  says,  letters  for  different  people,  in  ail  the  towns 
of  Germany  I  had  to  cross,  and  everywhere  I  found  the 
same  zeal  to  render  my  journey  more  comfortable.  Thanks 
to  all  the  help,  that  failed  me  in  no  place,  I  had  very  quickly 
crossed  the  whole  of  Germany,  and  on  the.  22nd  September, 
1846,  I  found  myself  again  in  that  Paris  that  I  had  quitted 
four  years  ago." 


ESCAPE  OF  PRINCE  LOUIS  NAPOLEON  FROM 
THE  FORTRESS  OF  HAM. 

IN  the  summer  of  1840,  Prince  Louis  Napoleon,  afterwards 
Emperor  of  the  French,  landed  with  a  number  of  adherents 
at  Boulogne,  to  assert  his  claim  to  the  French  throne,  as  the 
nephewand  heir  of  the  first  Napoleon.  It  had  been  represented 
to  the  prince  by  his  friends  that  the  people  were  everywhere 
ill-affected,  and  would  rise  in  insurrection  against  King  Louis 
Philippe,  as  soon  as  any  one  bearing  the  great  name  of  Napo- 


PRINCE  LOUIS  NAPOLEON.  285 

Icon  appeared  on  the  soil  of  France.  Events,  however,  proved 
that  these  councillors  were  wrong ;  the  people  did  not  rise, 
and  the  prince  and  his  followers,  to  the  number  of  fifty-three, 
were  captured  and  sent  to  Pans.  After  a  trial,  which  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  Europe,  on  account  of  the  eloquence 
of  the  advocates  on  both  sides,  and  the  great  names  and 
issues  concerned,  thirty-three  of  the  prisoners  were  discharged, 
nineteen  received  sentences  ranging  from  a  few  months  to 
twenty  years'  imprisonment,  and  the  prince  was  ordered  into 
close  confinement  for  life. 

The  sentence  was  read  to  his  highness  in  his  solitary  cell 
in  the  Conciergerie  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of 
October  26th;  and  without  exhibiting  the  least  emotion,  he 
remarked,  "  Then  I  shall  at  least  die  on  the  soil  of  France." 
A  few  hours  afterwards,  in  speaking  of  the  sentence,  he  said, 
"You  say  perpetual  imprisonment;  but  just  as  'impossible' 
used  to  be  a  word  unknown  to  the  French,  so  I  suspect  it 
will  be  with  the  word  perpetual  in  this  instance."  It  is 
needless  to  add  that  the  prince's  prophecy  was  fulfilled ;  for 
instead  of  lasting  for  life,  his  imprisonment  endured  some 
five  years  and  nine  months,  when  it  came  to  an  end  in  the 
manner  we  shall  hereafter  relate.  It  will  be  necessary  to 
say  a  few  words  upon  the  prison  itself,  and  some  of  the 
prince's  fellow-captives,  to  make  the  narrative  more  easily 
understood. 

The  prince  was  removed,  after  sentence,  to  the  fortress  of 
Ham.  This  fortress  is  about  ninety  miles  to  the  north-east 
of  Paris ;  and  with  the  exception  of  a  few  houses  which  have 
sprung  up  around  it  in  the  form  of  a  very  small  town,  the 
gloomy  building  stands  almost  in  the  centre  of  a  great  tree- 
less plain.  The  greater  part  of  the  castle  was  rebuilt  between 
four  and  five  hundred  years  ago,  but  there  are  still  portions  of 


286  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

the  wall  which  date  from  the  seventh  and  eighth  centuries. 
In  the  interior,  at  the  time  of  the  prince's  incarceration, 
there  were  two  low,  dilapidated  brick  buildings,  serving  as 
barracks  for  the  garrison,  which  consisted  of  400  men.  It 
was  at  the  end  of  one  of  these  that  the  state  prisoners 
were  kept,  in  two  or  three  rooms  which  the  friends  of  the 
captives  declared  were  dirty,  damp,  and  dark  ;  and  as  they 
were  only  removed  from  the  old  ivy-covered  walls  of  the 
fort  by  a  few  feet,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  if  they  were 
not  particularly  dry.  In  these  apartments  lived  the  prince, 
Dr.  Conneau,  his  physician  (who  had  been  sentenced  to  five 
years'  imprisonment  for  his  share  in  the  invasion  of 
Boulogne),  and  the  Count  and  Countess  Montholon ;  the 
former  undergoing  a  term  of  twenty  years  for  the  same 
reason  as  Dr.  Conneau,  and  the  latter  having  received  per- 
mission to  reside  with  her  husband.  Besides  these,  there 
was  a  faithful  manservant  named  Thelin,  who  had  followed 
the  prince's  fortunes  in  various  countries,  and  had  been  tried 
with  the  rest,  but  was  acquitted.  With  much  trouble  this 
man  had  obtained  leave  from  the  minister  of  the  interior 
to  share  his  master's  imprisonment.  We  must  not  forget  to 
mention  a  large  dog  to  which  the  prince  was  much  at- 
tached, which  was  named  after  the  prison,  "  Ham."  The 
reader  has  now  before  him  the  entire  household,  the  mem- 
bers of  which  passed  so  many  dreary  years  and  months 
together. 

The  guard  kept  over  the  prisoners  was  a  very  careful  one. 
The  commandant,  M.  Demarle,  although  a  kind-hearted 
man,  was  a  strict  disciplinarian ;  and  took  every  precaution, 
in  accordance  with  his  instructions,  to  keep  his  captives 
safe.  Sixty  soldiers,  besides  a  number  of  warders,  were 
constantly  on  duty ;  one  keeper  was  always  stationed  at  the 


PRINCE   LOUIS   NAPOLEON.  287 

door  of  the  prince's  room,  and  two  at  the  bottom  of  his 
stairs ;  and  he  was  never  allowed  to  either  walk  or  ride 
around  the  courtyard  of  the  fortress  without  armed  attend- 
ants. 

It  should  be  stated,  however,  that  the  servant  Thelin,  as 
he  was  only  residing  in  the  castle  of  his  own  free  will,  was 
allowed  to  go  in  and  out  on  errands  ;  but  this  only  with  a 
pass  from  the  governor.  Nor  were  all  these  precautions 
unnecessary ;  for  before  the  prince  had  been  long  in  con- 
finement, there  were  rumours  that  the  working  men  of  Paris, 
and  some  of  the  other  large  towns,  among  whom  the 
Bonapartes  were  at  that  time  very  popular,  were  about  to 
march  on  Ham  to  release  their  friend. 

At  one  time  it  was  stated  that  a  body  of  2000  had 
actually  started  on  the  expedition ;  and  the  Government,  in 
a  panic,  hastily  sent  down  several  regiments  of  horse  and 
foot  to  strengthen  the  garrison. 

These  energetic  measures  either  frightened  the  revolu- 
tionists, or  they  changed  their  plans ;  for  it  is  certain  that 
beyond  a  few  little  groups  who  used  occasionally  to  cheer 
the  prince  when  he  appeared  with  his  keepers  on  the  walls, 
no  demonstration  of  any  kind  was  ever  actually  made. 

As  with  most  men  of  education  undergoing  state  im- 
prisonment, the  prince  passed  his  time  chiefly  in  study  and 
in  writing  to  his  friends  outside  and  to  the  newspapers. 
Every  letter,  however,  either  to  or  from  the  prisoner,  had 
not  only  to  pass  through  the  governor's  hands,  but  to  be 
read  by  him.  He  also  occupied  himself  in  gardening,  of 
which  he  was  very  fond ;  and  now  and  then,  by  the  direct 
permission  in  writing  of  the  minister,  of  the  interior,  a 
visitor  was  allowed  to  enter  the  castle,  but  this  was  a 
privilege  very  rarely  afforded. 


t88  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

The  following  systematic  division  of  the  day  was  rigidly 
adhered  to  by  the  prince.  He  rose  early,  and  studied  until 
ten.  Then  breakfasted  and  walked  half  an  hour  for 
exercise  around  the  parapet  of  the  fort,  where  a  space  of 
100  feet  by  60  had  been  allotted  for  the  purpose.  He  then 
retired  to  his  room,  and  read  and  corresponded  with  the 
outside  world  until  dinner,  which  was  between  seven  and 
eight.  In  the  evenings,  there  was  usually  conversation  and 
a  game  at  whist,  in  which  the  governor  frequently  joined, 
after  seeing  that  all  the  doors  were  locked,  and  the  guards 
properly  posted  for  the  night.  In  this  quiet  manner  the 
little  household  passed  their  days,  waiting  and  watching  ior 
events  which  should  either  induce  the  Government  to  grant 
a  pardon,  or  afford  the  prince  an  opportunity  of  effecting 
his  escape. 

Louis  Napoleon,  however,  did  not  allow  any  chance  of 
exciting  the  sympathy  of  the  people  in  his  behalf  to  pass  by. 
In  spite  of  the  precautions  which  were  adopted,  he  several 
times  got  spirited  literary  articles  smuggled  out  of  the  prison 
by  his  friends,  and  published  in  Paris.  These  were  usually 
in  the  form  of  comments  upon  passing  events,  but  were  so 
written  that  the  object  was  only  transparently  veiled.  For 
instance,  when  the  remains  of  the  first  Napoleon  were 
brought  back  to  France  from  St.  Helena,  on  the  i5th  of 
December,  1840,  we  find  him  dating  a  touching  letter 
from  his  "prison  at  Ham,"  addressed  "  to  the  manes  of" 
his  "  uncle."  In  this,  approaching  the  dead  emperor,  he 
says  : — 

"Sire, — You  return  to  your  capital,  and  the  people  in 
multitudes  hail  your  return;  but  I,  from  the  depths  of  my 
dungeon,  can  discern  but  a  ray  of  that  sun  which  shines 
upon  your  obsequies.  Be  not  displeased  with  your  family 


PRINCE   LOUIS   NAPOLEON.  289 

because  they  are  not  there  to  receive  you.  Your  exile  and 
your  misfortunes  have  ceased  with  your  life,  but  ours  con- 
tinue still. 

"  You  have  died  upon  a  rock,  far  from  your  country  and 
kindred ;  the  hand  of  a  son  has  not  closed  your  eyes. 

"  Even  to-day  no  relative  will  follow  your  bier  ! 

"Montholon,whom  youloved  the  most  among  your  faithful 
companions,  rendered  you  the  service  of  a  son.  He  remains 
faithful  to  your  thoughts,  to  your  last  wishes.  He  has  brought 
to  me  your  last  words.  He  is  in  prison  with  me. 

"A  French  vessel,  conducted  by  a  noble  young  man,  went 
to  claim  your  ashes ;  but  it  is  in  vain  you  would  seek  upon  the 
deck  any  one  of  your  kindred — your  family  were  not  there. 

"In  landing  upon  the  soil  of  France,  an  electric  shock  was 
felt.  You  raised  yourself  in  your  coffin.  Your  eyes  for  a 
moment  re-opened,  the  tricolour  flag  floated  upon  th«  shore ; 
but  your  eagle  was  not  there.  The  people  press,  as  in  other 
times  upon  your  passage  ;  they  salute  you  with  their  accla- 
mations as  if  you  were  living ;  but  the  great  men  of  the  day 
in  rendering  you  homage,  in  suppressed  voice  say,  '  God 
grant  that  he  may  not  awake?  " 

When  nearly  six  years  had  elapsed,  the  prince  had  received 
letters  containing  news  of  the  critical  state  of  his  father's 
health,  and  accordingly  made  great  efforts  to  obtain  permis- 
sion to  visit  him.  To  this  end  he  wrote  several  times  to  the 
ministers,  and  even  to  the  king  himself,  promising  on  his 
word  of  honour  to  return  and  place  himself  at  the  Govern- 
ment's disposal,  whenever  called  upon  to  do  so.  All  his 
efforts  however  were  unsuccessful.  The  king  was  said  to 
favour  his  release,  but  the  ministers  were  firm  in  their  refusal. 
Finding  therefore  that  escape  was  his  only  remedy,  the  prince 
resolved  upon  making  the  attempt.  After  several  long  and. 


2i)0  WOWUERFUL   ESCAPES. 

earnest  conferences  with  his  faithful  friends,  it  was  decided 
that  the  effort  should  be  made  in  May. 

The  first  thing  to  be  done  was  to  throw  the  governor  off 
his  guard  as  much  as  possible;  for  which  purpose  letters 
were  written  from  various  persons  in  Paris  to  the  prisoners, 
selling  them  that  the  Government  was  shortly  about  to  grant 
a  general  amnesty,  and  congratulating  them  upon  it.  These 
being  carefully  read  by  M.  Demarle,  were  of  course  calculated 
to  make  him  less  apprehensive  of  any  attempt  at  flight,  than 
from  his  knowledge  of  the  failure  of  the  prince's  effort  to 
procure  permission  to  visit  his  father,  he  would  otherwise 
have  been.  About  this  time,  too,  fortune  favoured  the  plot 
in  a  way  that  the  actors  in  it  had  scarcely  ventured  to  reckon 
upon. 

f  The  illustrious  captive  had  for  years  been  making  repre- 
tentatio*s  to  the  authorities  in  Paris  upon  the  subject  of  the 
dilapidated  state  of  his  rooms.  Again  and  again  had  he 
begged  that  something  might  be  done  to  render  the  place  at 
least  safe  and  wholesome.  The  staircase  was  rickety,  and  the 
whole  of  that  part  of  the  building  in  which  he  was  con- 
fined as  unsafe  as  it  could  possibly  be.  But  a  deaf  ear 
had  as  usual  been  turned  to  all  his  remonstrances,  and  the 
matter  had  been  allowed  to  drop.  It  was  therefore  with 
no  small  pleasure  that  one  evening  the  captives  learnt  from 
their  kind  hearted  governor,  over  a  game  at  cards,  that 
the  order  had  come  down  for  the  necessary  repairs  to 
be  done,  and  that  the  workmen  would  set  about  them 
in  a  few  days'  time.  From  this  moment  it  was  resolved 
that  the  prince  should  endeavour  to  leave  the  place  in 
the  disguise  of  a  joiner,  and  a  suitable  dress  for  the  pur- 
pose was  accordingly  procured  from  friends  outside.  Dr. 
Conneau,  who  although  the  five  years  of  his  sentence  h:ul 


PRINCE    LOUIS   NAPOLEON.  29! 

expired,  still  stayed  with  the  others,  was  now  allowed  to  go 
in  and  out  occasionally,  just  as  the  servant  Thelin  was,  and 
the  two  made  all  necessary  arrangements  for  the  flight.  The 
day  of  departure  was  originally  fixed  for  Saturday,  the  23rd 
of  May,  but  the  unexpected  arrival  of  some  English  visitors 
made  it  necessary  to  wait  until  the  Monday.  With  his  usual 
careful  attention  to  details,  the  prince  had  ascertained  both 
from  his  own  and  reported  observations  of  his  friends,  the 
movements  of  every  workman  and  guard  about  the  place. 
It  was  found  that  the  greatest  precautions  were  taken  to  have 
the  unfrequented  parts  of  the  fort  well  watched.  If  a  workman 
was  seen  in  any  retired  spot  he  was  immediately  challenged; 
but  beyond  the  usual  measures  of  causing  the  men  to  pass 
in  single  file  through  a  Serjeant's  guard  when  they  left,  there 
were  no  extra  pains  taken  to  hinder  them  passing  out  through 
the  gate.  By  a  strange  fatuity  all  the  Government's  anxiety 
seemed  to  be  centred  in  preventing  people  coming  into  the 
prison,  for  there  had  always  been  some  fear  of  a  possible 
rescue.  The  walls  were  also  narrowly  watched  within  and 
without ;  but  it  had  not  apparently  occurred  to  anybody  that 
the  captive  might  coolly  walk  through  the  door  and  politely 
wish  his  gaolers  good  day,  as  eventually  he  did. 

As  may  be  imagined,  the  Sunday  before  their  departure 
was  a  very  anxious  day.  The  smallest  accident  might  bring 
failure,  and  with  it  all  hope  of  liberty  and  the  certainty  of 
universal  ridicule  ;  for  people  would  have  all  shaken  their 
heads,  and  said  a  man  must  have  been  destitute  of  the  most 
common  sense  to  believe  he  could  walk  out  of  prison,  through 
men  who  had  known  him  for  a  half  a  dozen  years,  in  the 
flimsy  disguise  of  a  journeyman  carpenter.  The  friendly 
ostrich  would  have  been  severely  laid  under  contribution  to 
point  innumerable  morals  and  adorn  no  end  of  talcs. 

u  a 


292  .  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

A  passport  had  been  procured  from  Paris  by  which  the 
prince  was  to  travel,  of  course  under  an  assumed  name ;  and 
the  fact  of  the  faithful  Thelin  not  being  similarly  supplied, 
caused  much  anxiety  to  the  little  circle  ;  but  the  accident  of 
the  English  visitors'  arrival,  was  turned  to  good  account  in 
this  matter.  Telling  his  friends  that  he  wished  his  valet  to 
take  a  journey,  the  prince  begged  that  one  of  them  would 
be  good  enough  to  let  his  courier  give  the  man  his  passport, 
which  was  immediately  done.  It  is  curious  to  note  that 
afterwards,  when  in  power,  as  if  the  emperor  had  remembered 
this  small  favour,  he  passed  a  law  to  the  effect  that  English 
people  might  travel  through  France  without  a  passport. 

Very  early  on  the  Monday  morning,  the  prince,  Dr.  Con- 
neau,  and  Charles  Thelin  stood,  without  their  shoes,  watch- 
ing the  courtyard  from  behind  the  window  curtains,  for  the 
arrival  of  the  workmen.  "  St.  Monday  "  is  kept  in  France  as 
religiously  as  it  is  here  by  certain  classes  of  operatives ;  and 
to  their  great  vexation  they  saw  but  very  few  of  the  men 
come  in,  and  those  were  in  cleaner  blouses  than  the  "  Satur- 
day "  one  which  was  to  form  the  prince's  disguise.  Again  : 
by  an  unfortunate  chance,  the  only  sentinel  they  were  par- 
ticularly anxious  to  avoid  happened  to  be  on  duty  just  out- 
side. The  prince  had  noticed  that  this  man  had  been  ex- 
tremely zealous  in  his  inspection  and  cross-examination  of 
the  workmen,  every  one  of  whom,  as  he  was  a  keen,  eagle- 
eyed  fellow,  he  knew  at  sight.  However,  this  man  was 
relieved  at  six  o'clock,  and  one  who  was  considered  less 
active  took  his  place.  The  danger  of  discovery  was,  of 
course,  chiefly  to  be  apprehended  from  two  sources — from 
the  soldiers  and  keepers,  and  from  the  workmen  themselves, 
who,  seeing  a  stranger  among  them,  would  be  sure  to  give 
an  alarm.  To  lessen  the  chances  from  the  latter,  as  soon  as 


PRINCE    LOUIS   NAPOLEON.  293 

the  workmen  were  all  in,  Thelin,  having  clipped  his  master's 
moustaches,  went  out  and  invited  them  into  the  dining- 
room  to  have  a  morning  dram  ;  and  while  he  was  pouring  it 
out  and  detaining  them  with  light  conversation,  the  prince 
slipped  down  the  first  stairs,  and  picking  up  a  plank,  waited 
coolly  for  his  man  to  rejoin  him  ;  for  as  the  two  keepers  at 
the  bottom  of  the  stairs  knew  him  well,  it  was  necessary  for 
Thelin  to  be  there  to  take  off  the  attention  of  one,  while 
his  highness's  face  was  covered  from  the  other  by  the  plank 
on  his  shoulder.  Here  another  difficulty  arose.  The  prince 
being  much  below  the  middle  stature,  and  therefore  smaller 
than  any  of  the  workmen,  his  friends  had  provided  a  pair 
of  high-heeled  boots,  which  gave  him  the  appearance  of 
being  four  inches  taller  than  he  really  was,  and  the  feet  of 
these  were  hidden  from  observation  by  being  placed  in  a 
pair  of  clumsy-looking  sabots.  But  as  it  was  Monday,  and 
the  weather  was  fine,  it  was  noticed  that  not  one  of  the  men 
had  sabots  on,  so  that  at  the  last  moment  a  whispered  con- 
sultation became  necessary  upon  the  subject  of  sabots  or 
no  sabots.  The  prince  was  for  kicking  them  off;  but  Thelin 
insisted  upon  their  retention.  So,  with  plank  and  sabots, 
and  a  much-soiled  blouse,  with  a  short,  common  clay  pipe 
between  his  lips,  the  future  Emperor  of  the  French  marched 
out  of  Ham. 

Going  down  the  stairs,  the  prince  was  alarmed  to  see 
that  one  of  the  workmen,  who  was  probably  a  teetotaller, 
and  had  resisted  Thelin's  invitation,  was  already  at  his  work 
on  the  baluster ;  but  fortunately  he  did  not  look  up  as  the 
man  with  the  plank  went  by.  At  the  bottom,  the  fugitive 
heard  the  workmen  come  pouring  out  of  the  dining-room 
overhead,  just  as  he  was  rejoined  by  Thelin  ;  and  with  great 
presence  of  mind  Dr.  Conneau  called  out  to  the  workmen 


294  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

that  he  had  something  to  say  to  them,  and  so  delayed 
them  until  the  others  had  passed  between  the  keepers. 

"  Good  morning,  Thelin,"  said  Dupin,  one  of  these,  stoop- 
ing to  pat  the  prince's  dog,  which  went  with  them :  "  so  you 
are  off  on  a  journey,  eh  ?"  seeing  the  great  coat  on  his  arm. 

"  Yes,  I  am  off  for  a  short  drive  with  master  doggy  here," 
replied  Thelin,  making  room  for  the  awkward  man  with  the 
board,  who  walked  straight  through. 

"  Well,  good-bye,  take  care  of  yourself,"  replied  Dupin ; 
while  Issaii,  the  other  keeper,  walked  on  in  conversation 
with  Thelin  as  far  as  the  gate  of  the  fort.  Here,  as  they 
went  out,  the  soldier  on  guard  would  have  taken  no  notice 
had  not  the  prince  dropped  his  pipe  right  at  the  man's  feet, 
which  attracted  his  attention,  and  he  looked  him  straight  in 
the  face  as  he  stooped  to  pick  it  up.  That  must  have  been 
a  moment  long  after  remembered  by  the  ruler  of  the  French. 
Recovering  his  pipe,  he  passed  out  through  the  Serjeant's 
guard,  and  being  narrowly  scanned  by  one  of  the  soldiers, 
he  shifted  the  plank  as  if  he  were  tired,  and  managed  so  as 
very  nearly  to  knock  his  examiner  on  the  head.  With  an 
exclamation  of  impatience  the  man  turned  aside,  and  the 
prince  was  free  ! 

The  fugitives  had  not  gone  far,  however,  when  they  met 
two  workmen,  who  looked  very  hard  at  the  prince,  who  had 
once  more  to  shift  his  board  so  as  to  hide  his  face.  As 
they  passed,  one  of  them  exclaimed,  "Is  that  Bertou?" 
To  which,  with  almost  pardonable  disregard  of  truth,  his 
highness  gave  a  laconic  "Out!"  and  passed  on. 

The  moment  they  were  out  of  sight  of  the  fortress,  the 
board  was  thrown  into  a  ditch,  with  the  dirty  blouse  ;  and  as 
the  prince  was  disguised  as  a  cabman,  he  waited  outside  the 
cemetery  of  St.  Sulpice,  two  miles  from  Ham,  while  his  com- 


PRINCE   LOUIS   NAPOLEON.  205 

pinion  went  for  the  cab  in  which  the  master  was  to  driv« 
the  servant  to  St.  Quentin,  on  their  way  to  Valenciennes. 

When  Charles  Thelin  returned  with  the  cabriolet,  he. 
found  the  prince  on  his  knees  before  a  large  crucifix,  re- 
turning thanks  for  his  delivery. 

As  they  drove  towards  St.  Quentin,  an  old  woman  who 
knew  Thelin  passed  them,  and  afterwards  told  her  friends 
that  she  had  never  before  seen  him  in  such  disreputable 
looking  company,  for  she  had  always  regarded  the  valet  to 
the  good  prince  as  a  very  respectable  young  man.  At 
St.  Quentin  the  prince  walked  round  the  outskirts  of  the 
town  to  the  opposite  side  to  that  on  which  he  had  entered, 
while  the  valet  drove  to  the  post-house  to  get  a  chaise  to 
take  them  to  Valenciennes. 

Thelin  being  a  great  favourite  with  Madame  Abrai,  who 
kept  the  inn  from  which  the  chaise  had  to  be  obtained,  had 
much  trouble  to  get  away.  She  insisted  upon  his  taking 
some  breakfast,  and  to  tempt  him,  brought  out  a  pie  of  her 
own  making,  which  she  declared  he  must  taste  or  never 
speak  to  her  again.  Always  ready  to  improve  the  occasion, 
her  guest  not  only  ate  some,  but  in  a  jocular  way  declared 
that  the  pasty  was  so  good  that  he  should  steal  it  and  take  it 
with  him  to  eat  on  the  journey.  The  good  soul  consenting, 
it  was  taken  to  his  highness,  who,  being  very  hungry,  con- 
descended to  finish  it. 

Owing  to  the  pressure  put  upon  him  at  the  inn,  Thelin 
was  so  long  that  the  prince  feared  he  had  mistaken  the 
rendezvous.  As  he  sat  in  great  suspense  on  a  bank  by 
the  roadside,  a  fussy-looking  little  gentleman  passed  and 
scanned  him  somewhat  narrowly. 

"  Have  you  seen  a  postchaise  on  the  road  you  have 
come,  sir?"  said  the  prince. 


296  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

"I  have  not,  sir!"  replied  the  little  man,  pompously. 
This  was  the  Procureur  du  Roi,  who  would  have  been 
charged  with  the  prosecution  of  the  prince  if  he  had  been 
recaptured. 

After  the  postchaise  arrived,  there  were  no  further 
adventures  until  Valenciennes  was  reached  a  little  before 
two.  The  train  for  Brussels  did  not  leave  till  four,  so  for 
two  weary  hours  the  travellers  sat  together  in  the  waiting 
room  of  the  station  talking  over  the  events  of  the  journey, 
and  wondering  how  it  fared  with  poor  Dr.  Conneau,  who, 
although  free  to  walk  out  of  the  prison  when  he  liked,  had 
insisted  upon  remaining  to  cover  their  retreat.  While 
they  sat  there,  a  gendarme  from  Ham  suddenly  appeared, 
and  clapped  Thelin  on  the  shoulder.  The  consternation 
of  the  travellers  may  be  easily  imagined. 

"  How  goes  it,  Thelin?"  said  the  man,  in  cheerful  accents 
which  speedily  reassured  them.  "  Who  would  have  thought 
now  of  meeting  anybody  from  Ham  all  this  way  off?  " 

"Good  morning,  neighbour,"  said  Thelin.  "I  am  off  to 
Belgium." 

"  Ah  !  and  how  is  the  good  prince  ?  " 

"  He  was  very  well  when  I  last  saw  him.  I  have  left  his 
service  now." 

"  Oh,  indeed !  That  gentleman  with  you  is  not  from 
Ham,  is  he  ?  " 

"  Oh,  dear  no  !  he  is  a  man  whom  I  have  known  years 
ago,  and  we  have  met  again  on  the  journey." 

"  Ah,  well,  good-bye  ;  my  train  is  going,  and  I  cannot 
stop  any  longer  with  you.  Bon  jour,  monsieur"  (to  the 
prince).  Hats  raised. 

"  Bon  jour,  monsieur." 

And  so  the  two  fugitives  got  safely  into  Belgium.     From 


PRINCE   LOUIS   NAPOLEON.  897 

Brussels  they  went  to  Ostend,  and  from  Ostend  to  London, 
where,  as  soon  as  the  prince  arrived,  he  wrote  a  letter  to 
the  premier,  Lord  Aberdeen,  to  acquaint  him  with  the 
facts  of  his  escape,  and  to  assure  Her  Majesty's  Government 
that  he  did  not  intend  to  conspire  against  the  Government 
of  France,  but  was  merely  desirous  of  attending  to  his 
private  affairs.  In  reply,  Lord  Aberdeen  wrote  a  polite 
letter,  telling  him  that,  under  the  circumstances,  he  was 
welcome  to  remain  in  England  as  long  as  he  pleased. 
Thus  ended  one  of  the  most  memorable  flights  in  history. 

As  the  reader  may  like  to  know  how  the  faithful  Dr. 
Conneau  fared,  we  will  just  state  that,  by  various  pretences 
he  delayed  the  discovery  of  the  prince's  departure  for 
more  than  twelve  hours.  As  the  governor  always  made  a 
point  of  seeing  the  prince  at  frequent  intervals  during  the 
day,  it  was  necessary  to  give  it  out  that  he  was  ill,  and 
wanted  repose.  To  aid  in  the  deception  the  doctor  made 
up  a  stuffed  figure,  dressed  it  in  the  prince's  clothes,  and 
placed  it  on  his  bed ;  then  leaving  his  door  ajar,  he  allowed 
the  governor  to  peep  in  and  satisfy  his  mind  that  his 
prisoner  was  still  there.  Towards  eight  o'clock  at  night, 
however,  M.  Demarle's  suspicions  were  aroused,  and  he 
insisted  on  entering  the  prince's  room  with  the  doctor, 
when,  of  course,  the  ruse  was  discovered. 

"When  did  the  prince  go?"  said  he,  turning  round 
sharply  to  Dr.  Conneau. 

"  At  seven  this  morning." 

"  You  are  under  arrest,  Doctor. 

«  Good." 

The  worthy  doctor  was  afterwards  sentenced  to  three 
months'  imprisonment,  for  his  share  in  the  transaction. 


298  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

THE  CAPTURE  AND  ESCAPE   OF  THE  FENIAN 
HEAD    CENTRE,  JAMES  STEPHENS. 

AFTER  the  seizure  of  the  Fenian  newspaper,  the  Irish  People, 
in  the  summer  of  1865,  the  British  Government  made  great 
efforts  to  capture  a  number  of  the  leading  members  of  the 
"  brotherhood,"  which  had  caused  them  so  much  trouble  in 
Ireland.  Among  those  who  were  thus  "  wanted,"  there  was 
nobody  whose  presence  in  a  court  of  justice  was  felt  to  be 
more  desirable  than  Mr.  James  Stephens,  alias  Power,  the 
chief  centre,  and  indeed,  prime  mover  of  Fenianism.  The 
available  detective  force  of  the  three  kingdoms  were  in  active 
pursuit,  and  spies  and  informers  were  being  anxiously 
interrogated  concerning  the  antecedents  and  personal  habits 
of  their  enterprising  enemy.  Wonderful  were  the  tales  told 
to  the  authorities  of  this  Mr.  Stephens.  He  had  for  years, 
ever  since  1848,  it  was  said,  been  carefully  educating  the 
Irish  peasantry  in  the  art  and  mystery  of  treason,  having 
travelled  for  the  purpose  in  all  sorts  of  disguises  through 
every  town  and  hamlet  of  the  country.  At  one  time  he 
would  be  met  with  in  the  dress  of  a  parish  priest ;  then  he 
would  hobble  past  police  barracks  on  crutches ;  again,  he 
would  assume  the  character  of  a  rollicking  farm  servant  on 
his  way  to  a  country  fair,  and  so  on,  ad  infinitum.  Whether 
all  or  any  of  these  tales  were  true  or  not,  it  is  certain  that, 
by  some  means  or  other,  the  organization  which  the 
Government  was  determined  to  put  down  was  not  only 
widely  spread  but  continually  increasing,  and  had  members 
in  every  corner  of  the  land ;  and  although  the  police  felt 
quite  certain  that  James  Stephens  had  not  left  the  country 
or  ceased  irom  his  labours,  he  somehow  or  other  did  for 
months  manage  to  baffle  his  innumerable  pursuers. 


JAMES   STEPHENS.  299 

The  Government  knew  the  man's  history.  He  had  been 
connected  with  the  abortive  attempts  at  insurrection  with 
Smith  O'Brien  in  1848  ;  was  present  at  the  "  battle"  in  the 
cabbage  garden,  and  had  escaped  to  the  Continent,  where 
he  had  for  a  year  or  two  made  a  precarious  living  as  a 
teacher  of  English  and  drawing.  In  Paris  he  had,  with  two 
friends,  John  O'Mahoney  and  Michael  Doheny,  invented 
and  drawn  up  the  plans  for  the  conspiracy  of  which  the 
world  has  since  heard  so  much.  The  organization  was  to 
be  called  the  "  Fenian  Brotherhood,"  after  the  Fenians,  a 
semi-mystical  body  of  militia,  celebrated  for  its  deeds  of 
chivalry  and  prowess  in  ancient  Irish  history.  Among  other 
modest  achievements  set  down  to  the  credit  of  these  old 
warriors,  in  ballads  still  sung  in  the  wilds  of  Connemara  and 
Mayo,  it  is  recorded  that  each  of  them  singly  was  in  the 
habit  of  conquering  any  nine  men  who  had  the  temerity  to 
engage  with  him  in  mortal  combat ;  in  fact,  it  appears  not 
to  have  been  allowed  by  the  rules  of  the  order  for  a  private 
in  that  distinguished  corps  to  fight  less  than  nine  ordinary 
mortals,  save  under  exceptionally  provoking  circumstances. 
In  fixing  upon  the  title,  "Fenian,"  therefore,  the  conspirators 
showed  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  weakness  of  thousands 
of  their  poorer  fellow-countrymen,  who  are  to  this  day  as 
proud  of  the  doings  of  the  old  Fenian  heroes,  as  English 
schoolboys  are  of  the  self-reliance  and  wonderful  perform- 
ances of  Robinson  Crusoe. 

The  cleverest  part  of  the  programme,  however,  was  that 
by  which  it  was  determined  to  carry  on  the  organization 
simultaneously  in  Ireland  and  America.  Two  of  the  se- 
difion  farmers  were  to  proceed  to  the  United  States,  and 
one  to  his  native  land;  so  that  as  fast  as  the  treason  plants 
were  sufficiently  grown  in  the  one  country  to  bear  trans- 


3=0  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

plantation  to  the  soil  of  the  other,  an  experienced  nursery- 
man might  be  on  the  spot  to  receive  them.  Of  course,  the 
post  of  honour  and  danger  being  the  Irish  one,  there  was 
a  friendly  contest  in  which  each  of  the  conspirators  en- 
deavoured to  secure  it  for  himself.  Each  urged  his  claims, 
but  as  no  one  would  yield  to  the  others,  it  was  decided  to 
toss  for  it  with  a  golden  coin,  for  in  such  a  sacred  cause  it 
was  unanimously  agreed  that  neither  silver  or  bronze  was 
pure  enough  for  use.  This  decision  caused  some  little 
delay,  owing  to  the  fact  that  among  the  three  original  mem- 
bers of  the  brotherhood  there  did  not  happen  to  be  as  much 
as  five  and  fourpence  ;  and  as  there  is  no  French  gold  coin 
of  less  value,  the  settlement  of  the  momentous  question  was 
deferred.  Mr.  Stephens  soon  after  this  obtaining  some  money 
from  one  of  his  pupils,  won  the  toss,  and  after  seeing 
his  friends  off  for  New  York,  went  to  Ireland,  where,  ob- 
taining a  living,  first  in  a  situation  as  teacher,  and  afterwards 
as  a  commercial  traveller,  he  devoted  himself  to  his  enter- 
prise with  a  zeal  and  devotion  which  as  loyal  citizens  we 
must  regre*.  were  not  applied  in  a  worthier  cause. 

Among  his  other  studies,  Mr.  Stephens  had  with  much 
foresight  included  the  internal  economy  of  the  gaols  of 
his  native  land.  It  was  said,  and  probably  with  some  truth, 
that  under  various  pretences  he  had  made  himself  tolerably 
well  acquainted  with  the  arrangements  for  the  detention  of 
prisoners  in  most  of  the  leading  strongholds  of  the  country. 
He  had  evidently  become  imbued  with  the  belief  that  the 
battle  of  Irish  liberty  would  have  to  be  fought  out  in  Her 
Majesty's  gaols,  and  the  sequel  has  proved  the  soundness  of 
his  conclusion.  This  was  the  man  whom  the  Government 
was  so  desirous  of  capturing  all  through  the  summer  and 
autumn  of  1865. 


JAMES   STEPHENS.  30! 

Towards  the  end  of  July,  1865,  a  gentleman,  named 
Herbert,  with  his  wife  and  daughter,  went  to  reside  in  a 
handsome  residence,  called  Fairfield  House,  at  the  corner 
of  Newbridge  Avenue,  Sandy  Mount,  Dublin.  The  arrival 
of  the  family  was  hailed  with  much  satisfaction  among  the 
tradesmen  of  the  neighbourhood  ;  for  the  new  comers  evi- 
dently had  not  only  expensive  tastes,  but  what  was  more 
important,  plenty  of  money  to  gratify  them.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Herbert  laid  out  considerable  sums,  not  only  in  the  embel- 
lishment and  furnishing  of  Fairfield  House,  but  in  the 
adornment  of  the  grounds  which  were  rather  extensive; 
and  although  it  was  observed  that  they  kept  very  little  com- 
pany, yet,  as  they  always  paid  punctually  for  what  they  had, 
they  soon  became  much  respected  in  the  neighbourhood. 
The  gentleman  seldom  went  out  and  was  therefore  but 
little  known  ;  but  Mrs.  Herbert,  from  her  kindly  manner 
and  frequent  purchases,  was  a  general  favourite  with  the 
shopkeepers.  So  this  quiet  household  pursued  the  even 
tenor  of  its  way  until  one  dark  winter's  morning,  when  an 
accident  happened  to  them,  which  as  it  has  an  immediate 
bearing  upon  our  narrative,  we  shall  now  relate. 

Between  five  and  six  o'clock,  on  the  nth  of  November, 
a  body  of  about  thirty  well-armed  policemen  surrounded 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Herbert's  premises,  and  three  inspectors  with 
cocked  pistols  in  their  hands  scaled  the  wall  and  effected  an 
entrance.  Of  course,  the  peaceable  inhabitants  of  the  house 
were  all  wrapped  in  slumber,  from  which  Mr.  Herbert  was 
rudely  awakened  by  a  loud  knocking  at  his  bedroom  door. 

"  Who  is  there,  and  what  is  the  matter  ? "  were  the 
questions  which  that  gentleman  naturally  put  to  his  dis- 
turbers, who,  commencing  to  break  in  the  door,  replied  as 
follows : 


302  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

"  Come,  Mr.  Stephens,  open  the  door,  we  know  you,  and 
resistance  is  perfectly  useless."  To  which  summons  Mr. 
Herbert,  alias  Power,  alias  Stephens,  responded  by  opening 
the  door  and  letting  his  captors  in.  One  of  the  inspectors 
stayed  with  Mr.  Stephens  while  he  dressed,  and  the  others 
searched  the  house,  where,  in  an  adjoining  bedroom  they 
found  two  gentlemen  in  bed  together,  and  one  lying  on  a 
mattress  on  the  floor.  These  were  Messrs.  Brophy,  Duffy, 
and  Kickham,  who  were  immediately  arrested  upon  the 
same  charge  as  Stephens.  In  the  other  parts  of  the  house 
provisions  enough  to  last  the  inmates  six  months,  a  quantity 
of  arms,  and  nearly  ^"2000  in  gold  and  cheques  were 
found ;  one  draft  recently  received  from  New  York  being 
drawn  in  favour  of  a  "  Mr.  Hooper,"  for  no  less  a  sum  than 
^1525  Ss.  6d. 

Mrs.  Stephens  had  been  tracked  by  female  detectives 
during  one  of  her  numerous  shopping  excursions,  and  thus 
the  discovery  of  her  husband's  whereabouts  had  been 
effected.  Without  the  least  trouble  the  whole  party  were 
conveyed  to  a  police  court,  and  after  several  preliminary 
examinations  were  committed  to  Richmond  Bridewell,  to 
take  their  trial  before  a  Special  Commission  convened  by 
Government  for  the  purpose. 

It  was  observed  that  Mr.  Stephens  bore  himself  with  great 
composure  during  his  examination.  Upon  being  called  upon 
to  make  a  defence,  he  handed  in  a  written  protest  as 
follows : 

"I  deliberately  and  conscientiously  repudiate  the  exist- 
ence of  British  law  in  Ireland.  I  despise  and  defy  any 
punishment  it  may  inflict  upon  me. 

(Signed)  "JAMES  STEPHENS." 

During  the  proceedings  his  cool  and  even  defiant  man- 


JAMES   STEPHENS.  303 

ner  were  calculated  to  impress  the  by-standers  with  the 
belief  that  he  was  an  attorney  watching  a  case,  rather  than  a 
prisoner  expecting  the  loss  of  his  liberty,  and  perhaps  life. 
He  seemed  fully  conscious  of  the  goodness  of  his  cause  and 
his  superior  ability,  and  appeared  to  feel  a  sovereign  con- 
tempt for  "the  other  side."  He  is  described  as  being  a 
"  smart "  looking  man,  very  neatly  dressed,  rather  below  the 
middle  stature,  with  smooth  cheeks,  a  fair  complexion,  a  fine 
large  auburn  beard,  and  hair  of  light  brown  colour  curling 
round  the  back  of  the  head,  the  front  and  top  of  which  was 
entirely  bald,  and  showed  a  very  good  development  of  the 
intellectual  and  moral  faculties,  "firmness"  being  remarkably 
large.  The  eyes  small,  lively,  and  restless.  Temperament 
evidently  sanguine  and  nervous,  indicating  quickness  of  per- 
ception, energy,  and  determination.  He  spoke  fluently  and 
correctly,  with  a  slight  Yankee  accent  (acquired  during  his 
frequent  visits  to  America  which  he  had  made  to  report 
progress  to  his  friends  there).  His  manners  were  described 
as  being  gentlemanly,  savouring  of  a  certain  degree  of 
abruptness  and  impatience.  This  is  the  description  which 
by  general  testimony  applied  to  one  who  was  certainly  the 
ablest  man  ever  before  the  public  in  connection  with  the 
Fenian  conspiracy.  As  we  have  said  before,  the  prisoners 
were  kept  for  safety  in  the  Richmond  Bridewell,  one  of 
the  strongest  prisons  in  Ireland. 

A  portion  of  the  gaol  was  selected  which  could  not  be 
approached  without  passing  through  a  number  of  doors 
composed  of  iron,  and  double  locked.  The  cell  occupied 
by  Stephens  was  in  the  corridor  leading  to  the  eastern 
wing  of  the  building,  and  adjoining  the  chapel  where 
he  was  in  the  habit  of  attending  mass.  His  cell  doojr 
was  composed  of  strong  hammered  iron,  and  secured, 


304  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

by  a  massive  stock-lock  and  a  huge  padlock,  to  a  staple  and 
thick  swinging  bar.  The  corridor  on  which  the  cell  door 
opened  was  guarded  by  another  ponderous  iron  door  of 
great  strength  and  thickness,  and  also  double  locked.  But 
these  were  only  the  commencement  of  the  obstacles  which 
would  prevent  escape  by  the  «doors,  and  escape  from  the 
windows  was  absolutely  impossible.  No  persons  were  per- 
mitted to  see  the  Fenian  prisoners  save  the  officials  of  the 
prison  and  the  prisoners'  legal  advisers;  and  it  is  stated 
that  Stephens  only  saw  a  legal  gentlemen  once,  and  that 
for  a  short  time  since  his  committal.  The  instructions  of 
the  governor  of  the  gaol  to  the  officials  under  his  command 
were  most  stringent,  and  were  apparently  most  strictly 
carried  out ;  and  with  the  view  of  having  a  sufficient  force 
on  the  premises,  in  case  it  should  be  required,  some  of  the 
metropolitan  police  were  kept  constantly  on  duty  in  one 
of  the  outer  corridors  of  the  prison.  All  communications 
to  the  prisoners  were  opened  and  read  before  they  were 
delivered,  and  also  all  letters  written  from  them  to  their 
acquaintance. 

Every  article  of  food,  clothing,  etc.,  brought  in  was 
closely  scrutinized,  and  in  fact,  everything  which  foresight 
and  precaution  could  suggest  was  adopted,  and  a  perfect 
control  kept  over  any  communication  with  the  prisoners' 
friends  outside. 

At  ten  o'clock  on  a  certain  Thursday  night,  when  the 
warders  made  their  last  rounds,  the  cell  in  which  James 
Stephens  was  confined  was  locked.  The  keys  had  been  at 
five  o'clock  duly  handed  over  to  the  governor,  who  had  had 
them  deposited  in  their  proper  order  in  the  case  in  his  office. 

The  watchman  for  the  night  was  Daniel  Byrne,  who 
went  on  duty  at  ten  o'clock ;  and  nothing  occurred  to  dis- 


JAMES   STEPHENS.  30$ 

turb  the  ordinary  routine  of  the  prison  until  a  quarter  to 
four  the  following  morning,  when  Byrne  gave  an  alarm 
that  he  had  discovered  two  tables  placed  one  above  the 
other,  near  the  south-western  wall  adjoining  the  governor's 
garden.  Mr.  Philpots,  the  deputy-governor  and  manager, 
and  the  gate  warder,  went  quickly  to  the  place  and  found 
the  two  tables  to  be  as  Byrne  had  described  them.  These 
tables  belonged  to  the  lunatic  dining-hall  and  had  to  be 
brought  a  long  distance  ;  but  strange  to  say,  there  were  no 
footprints  on  the  upper  table,  which  there  would  have  been 
if  it  had  been  stood  upon  by  any  person  who  had  walked 
through  the  open  passages  which  were  muddy,  as  torrents 
of  rain  were  falling.  The  wall  bore  no  marks  whatever  of 
persons  having  escaped  by  climbing  over  it.  The  night  was 
particularly  dark  and  tempestuous. 

When  the  governor  and  his  assistants  went  to  the  section 
of  the  prison  in  which  Stephens  had  been  confined,  they 
found  the  doors  of  the  corridor  open  and  also  the  door  of 
his  cell.  His  bed  looked  as  if  he  had  not  recently  slept  in 
it,  and  as  if  he  had  only  rolled  himself  up  in  a  railway  rug 
(found  on  the  floor),  and  had  waited  for  his  deliverance. 

A  master  key,  quite  bright,  as  if  only  recently  made,  was 
found  in  the  lock  of  the  corridor  door. 

Byrne  was  accused  of  being  an  accomplice;  and  he 
certainly  was  a  very  unfit  person  for  so  responsible  a  trust, 
seeing  that  he  had  been  one  of  the  Irish  legion  at  Castel- 
fidardo,  and  was  believed  to  be  a  captain  in  the  Fenian 
conspiracy.  The  patronage  of  the  gaol  appeared  to  be 
vested  in  a  body  closely  connected  with  the  Dublin  cor- 
poration. It  is  further  alleged  that  there  were  only  three 
policemen  employed  in  the  prison,  and  that  while  the 
barracks  of  Dublin  were  full  of  troops,  there  was  no  guard 


306  WONDERFUL    ESCAPES. 

to  protect  a  building  in  which  so  many  prisoners  charged 
with  such  serious  offences  were  confined.  There  was  a 
theory,  which  however  was  not  believed  by  the  police,  that 
Stephens  was  conveyed  at  once  on  board  a  Cunard  steamer, 
on  his  way  to  America,  to  relate  to  his  brethren  there  an 
account  of  the  most  brilliant  achievement  of  the  militant 
branch  of  the  order  resident  in  Ireland. 

As  may  be  imagined,  the  escape  caused  immense  excite- 
ment all  over  the  three  kingdoms.  Indignant  leading 
articles  appeared  in  the  chief  English  newspapers,  blaming 
the  police,  Government,  and  everybody  concerned  in  what 
was  felt  to  be  a  most  disastrous  business. 

The  Lord  Lieutenant  immediately  caused  the  following 
proclamation  to  be  issued.  * 

"A  PROCLAMATION." 

"  WODEHOUSE. 

"  Whereas,  James  Stephens,  has  been  an  acting  member 
of  a  treasonable  conspiracy  against  the  Queen's  authority  in 
Ireland,  and  has  this  morning  escaped  from  the  Richmond 
prison : 

"  Now,  we  being  determined  to  bring  the  said  James 
Stephens  to  justice,  do  hereby  offer  a  reward  of  ^"1000  to 
any  person  or  persons  who  shall  give  such  information  as 
shall  lead  to  the  arrest  of  the  said  James  Stephens. 

"  And  we  do  hereby  offer  a  further  reward  of  ^300  to 
any  person  or  persons  who  shall  give  such  information  as 
shall  lead  to  the  arrest  of  any  one  whomsoever  who  has 
knowingly  harboured,  or  received,  or  concealed,  or  assisted, 
or  aided  in  any  way  whatsoever  in  his  escape  irom  arrest 
the  said  James  Stephens. 

"  And  we  do  also  hereby  offer  a  free  pardon,  in  addition 


JAMES   STEPHENS.  307 

to  the  above-mentioned  reward,  to  any  person  or  persons 
concerned  in  the  escape  o.  the  said  James  Stephens,  who 
shall  give  such  information  as  shall  lead  to  his  arrest  as 
aforesaid. 

"  Given  at  Her  Majesty's  Castle  of  Dublin,  this  24th  day 
of  November,  1865. 

"  By  his  Excellency's  command, 

"THOMAS  A.  LARCOM." 

Mr.  Stephens  was  only  too  successful  in  eluding  the 
vigilance  of  the  police ;  for  finding  that  he  was  an  excep- 
tion to  the  rest  of  their  leaders,  whose  chief  characteristic 
appeared  to  be  to  utterly  fail  in  everything  they  undertook, 
the  Fenians  began  to  suspect  that  their  head-centre  had 
betrayed  them  to  the  Government,  who  had  let  him  off  as 
the  price  of  his  treachery ;  and  this  in  spite  of  the  declara- 
tions of  the  warder  Byrne,  who,  after  his  acquittal  from  want 
of  proof,  went  to  America,  and  told  the  story  of  the  escape ; 
how  Col.  Kelly  and  friends  were  outside,  and  received  the 
prisoner  after  he  had  let  him  out.  There  were  so  many 
believers  in  the  "treachery"  view  of  the  question,  that 
Stephens  was  deposed  from  office,  and  has  never  since  been 
held  of  the  least  importance  in  connection  with  the  move- 
ment. It  is  only  fair  to  state,  however,  that  of  late  years 
there  has  been  a  growing  belief,  as  expressed  in  the 
columns  of  the  so-called  "  National"  press,  among  the 
Fenians,  that  Mr.  Stephens  was  most  unjustly  accused. 
After  his  escape  he  spent  a  few  months  in  Ireland,  and 
then  visited  New  York,  from  whence,  disgusted  with  his 
reception,  he  departed  for  Paris,  where  he  lived  for  several 
years  in  great  poverty.  A  story  is  told  of  his  meeting  with 
an  English  detective  at  the  Paris  Exhibition,  which,  if  true, 


3C8  WONDERFUL   ESCAPES. 

would  appear  to  show  that  he  was  at  least  innocent  of  the 
"  betrayal  of  his  companions  for  gold,"  as  was  alleged  against 
him  by  his  American  accusers.  The  detective  officer  in 
question  was  enjoying  a  few  weeks'  holiday  in  Paris,  and 
being  unable  to  speak  French  at  the  bar  of  one  of  the 
refreshment  rooms  in  the  exhibition,  got  in  dispute  with  a 
waiter.  After  some  time,  he  was  helped  out  of  the  difficulty 
by  a  shabbily-dressed  but  good-looking  gentleman  with  a 
bald  head. 

"  Why,  you  are  Mr.  Stephens,  I  believe !  "  said  the  police- 
man, in  some  amazement,  when  he  had  time  to  take  a  good 
look  at  his  new  friend. 

"  Yes,  I  am  indeed,"  said  the  proprietor  of  the  bald  head, 
with  a  good  natured  laugh ;  "  and  as  one  good  turn  deserves 
another,  you  shall  stand  a  dinner  for  old  acquaintance  sake ; 
for  to  tell  you  the  truth,  I  have  not  been  able  to  dine  yet." 

"Why,  Mr.  Stephens,  they  say  you  are  doing  remark- 
ably well  here,"  said  the  other  with  a  knowing  Avink. 

"  Ah !  they  do  say  so,  but  they  are  wrong.  I  was  doing 
pretty  well  when  I  was  on  here  as  interpreter,  but  your  good 
friends  in  Scotland  Yard  have  got  me  out  of  that  berth 
by  their  kind  intercession  on  my  behalf  with  the  French 
Government  here ;  so  make  no  more  fuss  about  it,  but 
stand  treat  like  a  man;"  which  the  correspondent  of  the  re- 
spectable English  journal  who  related  the  story  at  the  time 
was  happy  to  inform  his  readers  the  detective  did. 

Mr.  ti.qjhens  is  s-id  to  be  at  the  present  time  in  Russia. 


THE    END. 


Cljavlcs  0crtbnet  &  <EoM 

654   Broadway,  New  York. 

HAVH  Jl;t,l    COMMKNCKU    1MB   PI  'KLICATIUN   OF 

>ljp  IHusfraf ?b  Hi&rarg  of 


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OVER    ONE    MILLION    COPIES 

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The  following  volumes  of  the  series  have  been  published  : — 


Illustrated  Library  of  Wonders. 


Optical 

"THE    WONDERS    OF    OPTICS.— By  F.    MARION. 

*  Illustrated  with  over  seventy  engravings  on  wood,  many  of 
them  full-page,  and  a  colored  frontispiece.  One  volume,  121110. 

Price »         ....         $i  50 

For  specimen  illustration  seepage  13. 

In  the  Wonders  of  Of  tics,  the  phenomena  of  Vision,  including  the  struc- 
ture of  the  eye,  optical  illusions,  the  illusions  caused  by  light  itself,  and  the 
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laws  in  accordance  with  which  they  were  developed  are  derived.  The  closing 
section  of  the  book  is  devoted  to  Natural  Magic,  and  the  properties  of  Mir- 
rors, the  Stereoscope,  the  Spectroscope,  &c.,  &c.,  are  fully  described,  to- 
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CRITICAL    NOTICES. 

"  The  work  has  the  merit  of  conveying  much  useful  scientihc  information  in  a  popular 
manner." — Phila.  North  American. 

"  Thoroughly  admirable,  and  as  an  introdu<5lion  to  this  science  for  the  general  reader, 
leaves  hardly  anything  to  be  desired." — N.  1'.  Evening  Post. 

"  Treats  in  a  charming,  but  scientific  and  exhaustive  manner,  the  wonderful  subject  of 
•>ptics." — Cleveland  Leader. 

"  All  the  marvels  of  light  and  of  optical  illusions  are  made  clear." — A^  Y.  Observer. 

sntr 

HTHUNDER  AND  LIGHTNING.     By  W.  DE  Fox- 

•*•       VIELLE.      Illustrated  with   39   Engravings  on  wood,   nearly 

all  full-page.     One  volume.  I2mo  .         .         .        .         $i  50 

For  specimen  illut<tration«  see  page  14. 

Thunder  and  Lightning,  as  its  title  indicates,  deals  with  the  most  star- 
tling phenomena  of  nature.  The  writings  of  the  author,  M.  De  Fonvielle, 
have  attracted  very  general  attention  in  France,  as  well  on  account  of  the 
happy  manner  in  which  he  calls  his  readers'  attention  to  certain  facts  hereto- 
fore treated  in  scientific  works  only,  as  because  of  the  statement  of  others 


Illustrated  Library   of    Wonders. 


often  observed  and  spoken  of,  over  which  he  appears  to  throw  quite  a  new 
light.  The  different  kinds  of  lightning — forked,  globular,  and  sheet  light- 
ning— are  described  ;  numerous  instances  of  the  effects  produced  by  this  won- 
derful agency  are  very  graphically  narrated  ;  and  thirty-nine  engravings,  nearly 
all  full-page,  illustrate  the  text  most  effectively.  The  volume  is  certain  to 
exrite  popular  interest,  and  to  call  the  attention  of  persons  unaccustomed  to 
observe  to  some  of  the  wonderful  phenomena  which  surround  us  in  this 
world. 

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the  scientific  information  necessary,  and  yet  so  happily  united  interest  with  instruction  that 
no  person  who  has  the  smallest  particle  of  curiosity  to  investigate  the  subject  treated  of  can 
fail  to  be  interested  in  it."—  N.  Y.  Herald. 

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ings of  eleclricitv,  had  better  get  these  books." — Our  Young  Folks. 

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Haven). 


^FHE  WONDERS  OF  HEAT.     By  ACHILLE  CAZIN. 

•*•       With  90  illustrations,  many  of  them  full-page,  and  a  colored 

frontispiece.     One  volume,  I2mo       .        .        .        .        .        $1   50 

For  specimen  illustration  see  page  I  ^. 

In  the  Wonders  of  Heat  the  principal  phenomena  are  presented  Ua  viewed 
from  the  standpoint  afforded  by  recent  discoveries.  Burning-glasses,  and  the 
remarkable  effects  produced  by  them,  are  described ;  the  relations  between 
heat  and  electricity,  between  heat  and  cold,  and  the  comparative  effects  of 
each,  are  discussed ;  and  incidentally,  interesting  accounts  are  given  of  the 
mode  of  formation  of  glaciers,  of  Montgolfier's  balloon,  of  Davy's  safety- 
lamp,  of  the  methods  of  glass-blowing,  and  of  numerous  other  facts  in  nature 
and  processes  in  art  dependent  upon  the  influence  of  heat.  Like  the  other 
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4  Illustrated  Library   of    Wonders. 

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"  It  describes  and  explains  the  wonders  of  heat  in  a  manner  to  be  clearly  understood  by 
non-scientific  readers."  —  PIMa.  Inquirer. 

Animal  EnttUfgente. 

T^HE     INTELLIGENCE     OF    ANIMALS,     WITH 

•*•      ILLUSTRATIVE  ANECDOTES.  —  From  the  French  of  ERNEST 

MENAULT.     With  54  illustrations.     One  volume,  I2mo    .         gi   50 

For  specimen  illustration  see  page   1  6. 

Iii  tins  very  interesting  volume  there  are  grouped  together  a  great  num- 
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writings  of  the  most  eminent  naturalists  of  all  countries,  designed  to  illus- 
trate the  manifestations  of  intelligence  in  the  animal  creation.  Very  many 
novel  and  curious  facts  regarding  the  habits  of  Reptiles,  Birds,  and  Beasts 
are  narrated  in  the  most  charming  style,  and  in  a  way  which  is  sure  to 
excite  the  desire  of  every  reader  for  wider  knowledge  of  one  of  the  most 
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skill  displayed  in  the  illustrations,  which  are  very  numerous,  make  the  vol- 
ume singularly  attractive. 

CRITICAL  NOTICES. 

**  May  be  recommended  as  very  entertaining."  —  London  Athenaeum. 

"  The  stories  are  of  real  value  to  those  who  take  any  interest  in  the  curious  habits  of 
animals."  —  Rochester  Democrat. 


"P  GYPT  3,300  YEARS  AGO  ;  OR,  RAMESES  THE 
•*—•'  GREAT.  By  F.  DE  LANOYE.  With  40  illustrations.  One 
volume,  i2mo  .........  $i  50 

For  specimen  illustration  see  page  1  7- 

This  volume  is  devoted  to  the  wonders  of  Ancient  Egypt  during  the  time 
of  the  Pharaohs  and  under  Sesostris,  the  period  of  its  greatest  splendor  and 
magnificence.  Her  monuments,  her  palaces,  her  pyramids,  and  her  works 
of  art  are  not  only  accurately  described  in  the  text,  but  reproduced  in  a 
series  of  very  attractive  illustrations  as  they  have  been  restored  by  French 
explorers,  aided  by  students  of  Egyptology.  While  the  volume  has  the 
attraction  of  being  devoted  to  a  subject  which  possesses  all  the  charms  of 
novelty  to  the  great  number  of  readers,  it  has  the  substantial  merit  of  dis- 
cussing, with  intelligence  and  careful  accuracy,  one  of  the  greatest  epochs 
in  the  world's  history. 


